Why the nation trying to broker US-Iran peace talks risks being drawn into the conflict

Islamabad, Pakistan —  In the month since the US and Israel began their aerial bombing campaign of Iran, thousands of people have been killed across at least nine countries in a rapidly escalating conflict that is costing economies billions of dollars a day. The world is facing a global energy crisis.But the scale of this war could get much, much worse.Iran has fired salvos of drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia, as well as fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.Yet, so far, none of these countries have retaliated against Tehran."Saudi Arabia has been very patient,« said retired Lieutenant General Muhammad Saeed, formerly the second highest officer in the Pakistan Army."If the Saudis retaliate militarily, it won’t be the Saudis alone,« Saeed continued. „That would then put the entire region into flames."Saudi Arabia’s direct involvement in the war would have implications that go far beyond fellow Arab countries in the Gulf.In 2025, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense agreement with Pakistan.During a meeting with the Saudi foreign minister in Islamabad on Sunday, Pakistan’s prime minister thanked his ally for its «remarkable restraint."He also assured the Saudi diplomat that «Pakistan would always stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia."The implication is, if the Islamic Republic of Iran pushes Saudi Arabia too far, it could end up forcing its nuclear-armed neighbor Pakistan to come to Riyadh’s defense.The Pakistani leadership isn’t exactly spoiling for a fight.It has been less than a year since arch-rivals India and Pakistan fought a 4-day air-and-missile war against each other. And the Pakistani military has been engaged in cross-border skirmishes with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan for months.

​