Pakistan may be staring at one of the biggest strategic opportunities it has seen in years. As the Iran war rattles the Gulf and raises doubts about the reliability of traditional security arrangements, several Arab states appear to be looking toward Islamabad as a military partner. Saudi Arabia has already signed a mutual defence agreement with Pakistan. Kuwait is now exploring a much broader pact. Bahrain and Jordan are reportedly interested in expanding defence cooperation as well, as per a Reuters report. For Pakistan, this opens the possibility of securing long-term oil arrangements, fresh investments and a larger geopolitical role. Yet every gain comes with a cost. The deeper Islamabad moves into the Gulf security architecture, the harder it becomes to avoid being seen by Iran as part of an opposing camp.
Why the Gulf is looking at Pakistan
