Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24 local time. Photo: Screenshot from ANI

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the defense pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as the beginning of a "comprehensive regional security system,"Pakistani media the Dawn reported on Thursday.

The Iranian president addressed to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday. During his speech, he said "Iran welcomes the defense pact between the two brotherly Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as a beginning of a comprehensive regional security system with the cooperation of the Muslim states of West Asia in the political, security and defense domains," the report said.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a formal mutual defense pact, state media from both countries said, in a move that significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership, Aljazeera reported on September 17. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing of the agreement.

"This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both," a joint statement published on September 17 said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

A senior Saudi official did emphasize that his country's relationship with India remained strong. 

India said that it expects that "this strategic partnership will keep in mind mutual interests and sensitivities," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a weekly news briefing, Reuters reported on September 19.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have maintained close diplomatic and security relations for a long time. In 1947, Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan after it gained independence, Arab News reported. According to official records, Pakistan has trained more than 8,000 Saudis since 1967, Aljazeera reported. 

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in January 2016, according to media reports. Under China's mediation, on March 10, 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran have reached a deal which includes the agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months, Xinhua News Agency reported. Later on April 6, Saudi Arabia and Iran signed an agreement for resuming diplomatic relations after the meeting, per the report.

Since then, the relations between the two countries have been continuously warming up. Saudi Arabia denounced the "heinous" Israeli attacks against Iran in May this year. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X that Israel's brutal offensive on Iran "violates its sovereignty and constitutes a blatant breach of international laws and norms," Aljazeera reported. 

It also expressed "great concern" following US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, according to a statement by the foreign ministry on X, according to Aljazeera.


Global Times