Pakistan Deploys Fighter Jets to Saudi Arabia Amid Fragile Ceasefire

Pakistani Fighter Jets Deployed to Saudi Arabia Under Mutual Defence Pact

Pakistan has deployed fighter jets to King Abdulaziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, marking the first visible military move under a collective defence agreement between the two countries. The aircraft, comprising a mix of fighter and support jets, landed on Saturday at the request of the Saudi Ministry of Defence.

The deployment comes as Pakistan hosts direct negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, aimed at ending weeks-long regional fighting. A mutual defence pact signed in September 2025 commits each country to treat an attack on the other as an attack on itself. The agreement was signed during a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Riyadh last September.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that he personally warned Iranian leaders of Islamabad’s obligations under the agreement in early March, seeking guarantees that Saudi territory would not be used to attack Iran. Despite these assurances, Iranian attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia have continued, including key bases and a US embassy building.

The deployment of Pakistani fighter jets is seen as an attempt to communicate Pakistan’s commitments to Iran through the mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia. The move has been described by security analysts as a “risky gambit” aimed at signaling to Iran that Pakistan will invoke the pact if necessary.

Source: Al Jazeera