India, Sept. 19 -- On September 17, 2025, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in Riyadh. The pact formalises their alliance with a collective defence clause, stating that "any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both". It was signed less than two weeks after an Israeli strike on Doha, which left Gulf States wary of US security guarantees.

The agreement upgrades the long-standing defence cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh, institutionalising a historically close security relationship rooted in shared faith and strategic interests. For decades, Pakistan has provided security support, including training an...