RIYADH: Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, met with Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s defence minister, to discuss recent Iranian attacks on the kingdom and explore measures to prevent further escalation.
The discussions took place under the framework of the defence cooperation agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
In a statement shared on X early Saturday, Prince Khalid said the talks focused on stopping the attacks, noting that such actions threaten regional security and stability.
The meeting comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East following strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. Tehran later responded by launching missiles and drones targeting US military bases across the Gulf region, including locations in Saudi Arabia.
“I met with His Excellency the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Pakistani Army, Field Marshal Asim Munir,” Prince Khalid wrote in his post.
He expressed hope that Iran would choose restraint and avoid miscalculations that could further destabilise the region.
According to the Saudi defence minister, both sides discussed Iranian attacks on the kingdom within the context of the strategic defence partnership between the two countries and considered ways to prevent further incidents. He added that maintaining regional peace requires careful decision-making and restraint.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September last year. The pact agreed upon by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh states that an attack on either country would be treated as aggression against both nations, strengthening their long-standing security partnership.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities reported that several drones targeting the Shayba oil field in the Empty Quarter were intercepted and destroyed on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, a drone struck the US embassy in Riyadh, sparking a small fire but causing no casualties. However, Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, denied Tehran’s involvement in the incident.
“We confirm that Iran had no role in the attack on the US embassy in Riyadh,” the ambassador told AFP.
