US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: For nearly a year, Pakistan has attempted to maintain close ties with both Saudi Arabia and Iran while also serving as a communication channel between Tehran and Washington. However, the latest fighting between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement and Saudi forces is putting Islamabad’s diplomatic balancing act under increasing pressure.
The conflict is particularly sensitive for Pakistan because it comes soon after the country entered into a new mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The agreement, signed last month, states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all three. This arrangement has created a difficult situation for Islamabad as it tries to support its defence relationship with Riyadh without damaging its long-standing ties with neighbouring Iran.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Why Pakistan Is Concerned About the Houthi Conflict
Pakistani officials believe the latest Houthi attacks could create a greater risk of Pakistan being drawn directly into the conflict than the Iranian attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure earlier this year.
Two Pakistani officials told Reuters in July that Pakistani troops are stationed near Saudi Arabia’s border with Yemen. Their presence could expose Islamabad more directly if fighting between Saudi forces and the Houthis intensifies.
Pakistan has increasingly used defence partnerships with Gulf countries as part of its strategy to strengthen its economy after years of financial difficulties. Such military agreements have also been linked to discussions over potential investment from wealthy Gulf states.
At the same time, Pakistan has strong economic and strategic reasons to avoid a confrontation with Iran. The country depends on energy supplies and maritime trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, both of which could be disrupted by regional conflict involving Iran or the Houthis.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Pakistan Warns Iran Over Houthi Attacks
Islamabad has already begun diplomatic efforts to prevent the Saudi-Houthi conflict from widening. This week, Pakistan delivered a warning to Iran, urging Tehran to restrain its Houthi allies as Saudi Arabia responded to attacks. Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian sources told Reuters about the communication.
Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir also spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Thursday. The discussion focused on “ways to restore diplomatic efforts to de-escalate on all fronts”, according to a Pakistani source.
A Pakistani government official said Islamabad was deliberately maintaining a cautious position because it has important interests on both sides. “Pakistan is trying to keep a low profile in the Saudi-Houthi conflict because Pakistan’s own stakes are high,” the official told Reuters. “It does not want to spoil relations with Iran.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has also indicated that Islamabad is not currently considering military action against the Houthis. Foreign Ministry spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan said:
“Iran’s leadership has consistently appreciated Pakistan’s mediation efforts,” Khan told Reuters in response to a request for comment. “Pakistan has consistently opposed escalation and advocated restraint, dialogue and diplomacy.”
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Pakistan’s Balancing Act Between Saudi Arabia And Iran
Iran has publicly welcomed Pakistan’s mediation efforts and has said that it does not consider the new defence agreement a threat. However, three Iranian sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the private assessment is more complicated. According to them, Iran may recognise Pakistan’s intentions but doubts whether Islamabad has the resources and negotiating experience needed to play a role comparable to countries such as Qatar.
Iran’s foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Pakistan also appears to be cautious about expanding its defence commitments across the Gulf. After Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed their initial defence agreement last year, Kuwait reportedly pushed for a similar arrangement. Four people familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Pakistani officials became concerned about developing deeper military ties with another Gulf country that could face Iranian attacks.
The talks were subsequently scaled back. Instead of a wider defence agreement, Pakistan and Kuwait signed a narrower protocol in Islamabad last month covering training, border security and capacity-building. Pakistan has also said there are currently no plans to expand the broader Pakistan-Saudi-Turkey defence alliance to additional countries.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Can Pakistan Remain A Mediator?
Pakistan’s role as a mediator is also facing questions over how much influence Islamabad actually has with Tehran. Farzana Shaikh, an associate fellow at Chatham House, questioned whether Iran’s confidence in Pakistan was ever as strong as widely assumed.
She said Pakistan “does not have the kind of wherewithal or indeed experience that Qatar and Oman would have brought to the table,” adding that Islamabad’s increased diplomatic role was influenced less by its own diplomatic strength and more by “the personal bonhomie” between US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Trump has repeatedly described Munir as his “favorite field marshal”. Pakistan has also sought closer relations with Washington through discussions involving cryptocurrency, access to critical minerals and counterterrorism cooperation.
However, some analysts believe Pakistan’s close relationships with Saudi Arabia and the United States could actually make it useful as a channel to Iran. Kamran Bokhari, a Washington-based analyst specialising in Pakistan-Iran relations, said Tehran may engage with Islamabad precisely because of Pakistan’s links with Riyadh and Washington.
According to him, Pakistan’s position allows it to communicate with Iran in ways that a completely neutral country might not be able to. But the situation could change rapidly if the Saudi-Houthi conflict expands.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Pakistan’s Military Faces Additional Pressure
Pakistan’s military commitments could further complicate Islamabad’s decision-making. Pakistan has the world’s seventh-largest military by active personnel, according to the Reuters report, and has previously deployed thousands of troops and a squadron of fighter jets to Saudi Arabia under its existing defence arrangements.
At the same time, Pakistan is dealing with security challenges along its border with India and fighting insurgencies in its western provinces. This leaves Islamabad with limited room to take on additional military commitments in the Gulf. “Pakistani forces are stretched,” Bokhari said, describing additional military commitments as daunting.
For now, Pakistan appears to be prioritising diplomacy and attempting to maintain its relationships with Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States simultaneously. But any significant expansion of Saudi-Houthi fighting could force Islamabad to make difficult choices between its defence commitments, economic interests and role as a regional mediator.
