New Delhi, Sept. 20 -- Israel's 9 September attack on Doha, targeting Hamas negotiators, has prompted closer Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence alignment, creating a new diplomatic stressor for India.

This week, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, deciding to treat an attack on either country as an attack on both.

On the surface, it codifies decades of defence cooperation: Pakistani army personnel have historically guarded the Saudi royal family, while the Gulf nation has repeatedly bailed out Pakistan during financial crises.

Underneath, it indicates Saudi Arabia's lack of confidence in US protection in case of tensions with Israel.

US-Sau...