Pakistan has chosen to remain silent regarding Saudi Arabia’s ongoing confrontation with Iran, despite having a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Riyadh. The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, spanning over seven decades, has seen significant support from the latter, including financial aid and strategic backing. This support has been evident through the deployment of Pakistani military personnel for Saudi security and the employment of hundreds of thousands of Pakistani nationals in the Kingdom, contributing significantly to Islamabad’s foreign currency earnings.
In response to repeated attacks from Iran, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, issued a warning that the Kingdom’s patience in the face of escalating Iranian aggression has limits, hinting at the possibility of military action. This warning comes as Arab and Islamic states, in a joint statement, called on Tehran to cease its aggressive actions. Despite Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly apologizing for hostile actions in West Asia, Iran has continued its attacks on Gulf nations, indicating a broader objective beyond targeting Israel to impacting the economies of West Asian nations by striking their critical infrastructure.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia has particularly affected Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. Notably, Qatar, despite its reported financial support for Iranian proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, is also facing repercussions. The UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sultan Al Jaber, has raised concerns about the impact of attacks on energy infrastructure on operations, warning of potential implications as tensions escalate. Qatar, in response to Iran’s increasing hostilities, has expelled several Iranian diplomats, citing their involvement in activities against the government.
Reports suggest that a considerable number of Iranian nationals, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij, are attempting to incite unrest in the UAE. Additionally, Iranian operatives are allegedly recruiting Pakistani nationals in various Gulf states to conduct online propaganda campaigns against these nations and their leadership. This situation has raised concerns about the spread of AI-generated Iranian propaganda through Pakistan-based networks on social media platforms.
