In a recent interview, U.S. foreign‑policy expert Scott Horton said the new Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is unlikely to change the regional balance. The deal was signed on September 17 when Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Riyadh, meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Horton points out that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have long enjoyed a de‑facto alliance, with both countries sharing common security concerns. “The question has always been whether Pakistan would ever supply a nuclear weapon to Saudi Arabia,” he said. The analyst noted that Pakistan, a nuclear‑armed state outside the Non‑Proliferation Treaty (NPT), has been speculated about “for years.” He added that Saudi Arabia’s interest in nuclear weapons is tied to a broader Sunni‑Shia rivalry in the region, a conflict that he traced back to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The new agreement says that an attack on either country counts as an attack on both. It builds on eight decades of partnership, “brotherhood and Islamic solidarity,” and aims to tighten defence ties and bolster joint deterrence. While the treaty may be symbolic, it underscores a grown‑up level of cooperation between two key players in the Gulf.
The story comes as U.S. forces maintain a strong foothold in the Middle East. Al‑Udeid Air Base in Qatar—America’s main U.S. military hub in the region—hosts the Central Command and outstrips U.S. army bases in Kuwait and navy bases in Bahrain. Qatar, a Sunni Gulf state, sits on a shared gas field with Iran and often functions as a back‑channel for talks with Tehran because of its proximity and economic ties.
In sum, the agreement marks another footnote in a long‑time partnership. It reaffirms that “any aggression against one counts as aggression against the other,” but it does not indicate a radical shift in the Gulf’s geopolitical landscape. The focus remains on maintaining security, boosting defence cooperation, and navigating the Sunni‑Shia tensions that continue to shape regional dynamics.
Source: aninews
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