The country mediating the US-Iran talks is sending planes to Saudi Arabia. Agreement on mutual defense against attack by a third country
Pakistan has sent fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to bolster the kingdom's defenses under a defense pact between the two countries, the Saudi Defense Ministry said on the day Islamabad hosted talks to end the Iran-US-Israel war.
Pakistani fighter jets and other support aircraft have arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base in eastern Saudi Arabia. According to Saudi authorities, the presence of Pakistani aircraft is intended to strengthen joint defense cooperation and support regional and international security and stability.
The jets were sent after Iranian strikes hit targets in the Saudi energy infrastructure. A Pakistani official said the planes were not intended to attack anyone.
Monday's Iranian attack on the Jubail petrochemical complex heightened fears in Pakistan that the Persian Gulf kingdom could retaliate, jeopardizing peace talks, three sources told Reuters.
The deployment of Pakistani aircraft is meant to reassure Riyadh that Islamabad will help defend the kingdom from further attacks.
Riyadh and Islamabad signed a mutual defense pact in September 2025, in which both sides pledged to regard any aggression against either as an attack on both countries. The pact significantly strengthened a decades-old security partnership.
Pakistan has long provided military support to the kingdom, including training and sending military advisers, while Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stepped in to financially support Pakistan in times of economic hardship.
