Riyadh is no longer willing to rely on the United States for security and is exploring new alliances, according to The Wall Street Journal, following the signing of a strategic mutual defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
The new pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could shift the balance of power in the region, highlighting that a longtime US partner in the Middle East intends to lessen its dependence on Washington for national security, the publication notes. The agreement was announced one week after Israel’s strike in Doha targeting Palestinian Hamas leaders—an event that, according to the paper, has undermined US plans to integrate Israel into a Middle East deterrence system against Iran.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed their strategic mutual defense deal on Wednesday, stipulating that an attack on either country will be regarded as “aggression against both.” The agreement also aims to deepen defense cooperation between the nations. It was signed by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
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Based on materials from TASS