Web Desk

Foreign Affairs

White House confirms US Vice President JD Vance will lead delegation to Iran talks in Islamabad as President Pezeshkian confirms Iran's participation, while Pakistan PM urges restraint to sustain ceasefire and advance diplomacy.

Vance to lead US delegation as Iran confirms participation in Islamabad talks

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan&#39;s military leadership condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia&#39;s petrochemical and industrial complex, calling them an unnecessary escalation that undermines efforts to resolve the Middle East conflict diplomatically, the military&rsquo;s media wing reported on Tuesday. The statement came following the 274th Corps Commanders&#39; Conference, chaired by Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), commanders warned that the strikes carry serious consequences for ongoing peace efforts and the diplomatic environment that mediators have worked to sustain. Saudi Arabia&#39;s restraint despite repeated provocations had kept mediation viable. &ldquo;Continued attacks,&rdquo; the forum said, &ldquo;risk collapsing that process.&rdquo; The forum supported the government&#39;s efforts to end the Middle East conflict, while calling for dialogue and de-escalation in the region. The statement also noted that it affirmed Pakistan&#39;s commitment to principled diplomacy and constructive engagement. The forum also described Pakistan as a responsible regional stakeholder and active contributor to peace and stability, designating it a Regional Security Stabilizer. The conference opened with a collective prayer for soldiers, law enforcement personnel, and civilians martyred in the service of the country. The commanders paid tribute to their sacrifices, noting that their legacy forms the bedrock of Pakistan&#39;s national security. Field Marshal Asif Munir commended the armed forces for their professionalism and sustained intelligence-based counter-terrorism operations. He credited the combined effort of the government, military, and civilian population for consolidating security gains, strengthening economic resilience, and improving Pakistan&#39;s regional and global standing. On domestic security, commanders pledged to pursue and eliminate all terrorist groups operating on behalf of India and other foreign sponsors, along with their facilitators and abettors. According to the statement, Operation Ghazab lil-Haq will continue until terrorist sanctuaries are dismantled and cross-border use of Afghan territory against Pakistan ends. The forum rejected India&#39;s disinformation campaigns, baseless allegations, and false flag narratives &ndash; tactics that have been discredited internationally. The commanders also raised concern over human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, citing a recent pattern of staged encounters used to conceal extrajudicial killings. The field marshal directed commanders to maintain operational readiness, professionalism, and adaptability across all threat levels. He expressed full confidence in the armed forces&#39; ability to ensure Pakistan&#39;s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir chairs the 274th Corps Commanders’ Conference at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on April 7, 2026. (ISPR)

Terms the strikes on Saudi petrochemical and industrial facilities as an unnecessary escalation that threatens Middle East peace efforts and regional stability, the military's media wing said.

Pakistan military condemns Saudi industrial strikes, warns of regional escalation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed the need for urgent de-escalation in the Middle East, endorsing a broader diplomatic push centered on a five-point peace initiative jointly advanced by Islamabad and China.&nbsp;Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office said in a statement.&nbsp;&ldquo;The two leaders exchanged views on the latest developments in the regional situation, emphasizing the urgent need for de-escalation and dialogue,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;The discussions come amid intensifying tensions following the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which has expanded across the Gulf, disrupted energy routes and heightened risks to global economic stability.&nbsp;Both sides also reviewed the Pakistan-China five-point initiative aimed at stabilizing the region through coordinated diplomatic efforts.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Pak-China Five-Point Initiative for peace in the Gulf and Middle East was also discussed,&rdquo; the Foreign Office said.&nbsp;The initiative calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the launch of peace talks, protection of civilians and critical infrastructure, safeguarding of maritime routes including the Strait of Hormuz, and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter.&nbsp;Officials say the framework reflects growing alignment among regional actors seeking to shift the crisis toward dialogue, as military escalation continues to impact energy markets and security dynamics.&nbsp;Dar and Prince Faisal also reaffirmed longstanding bilateral ties.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both leaders reaffirmed the strong, fraternal Pakistan&ndash;Saudi Arabia relationship and agreed to remain in close contact,&rdquo; the statement added.&nbsp;The exchange highlights continued coordination between Islamabad and Riyadh as diplomatic efforts intensify to contain a conflict that is increasingly affecting both regional stability and global economic flows.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar holds telephone conversation with Saudi counterpart, discussing Iran tensions and backing the Pakistan-China five-point peace initiative, while both sides stress urgent de-escalation and continued coordination amid escalating regional crisis.

Islamabad, Riyadh discuss Iran tensions, back Pakistan-China peace initiative

KYIV: Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed an air defence agreement during President Volodymyr Zelensky&#39;s visit to the kingdom facing Iranian drone attacks, two senior officials told AFP on Friday. Kyiv has sought to leverage its expertise in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations, which are being attacked with the same kind of Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia fires on Ukraine. &quot;The point of the agreement is that Ukraine will support them in developing all the necessary components of air defence, which they currently lack,&quot; one official said of the document which, according to another was signed on Thursday. Both spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity. Kyiv has been using a mix of cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools and anti-aircraft guns to down Russian drones fired at its cities on a nightly basis for four years. It touts its anti-drone defences as the best in the world. Ukraine has proposed swapping its interceptors for vastly more expensive air-defence missiles that Gulf countries are using to down Iranian drones. Ukraine says it needs more of them to fend off Russian missile attacks. The deal signed between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia &quot;is not only about interceptors as such, but about building a system, integrating it with other air defence components, Ukrainian experience in its use, AI, and all the other elements of data analysis needed to counter Shaheds and other drones,&quot; one of the officials said. Zelensky confirmed on social media that both countries had &quot;reached an important arrangement&quot; on defence cooperation and that he had met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit. &quot;We are ready to share our expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia,&quot; Zelensky said, adding: &quot;Saudi Arabia also has capabilities that are of interest to Ukraine, and this cooperation can be mutually beneficial.&quot; He did not disclose what exactly has been agreed as part of the deal. Zelensky also met with Ukrainian anti-drone experts that have been deployed to the country since US and Israel launched strikes on Iran that spurred retaliatory drone and missile attacks from Tehran. &quot;Even in such a short time, Ukrainian experts were able to share extensive expertise,&quot; Zelensky said. &quot;Ukraine&#39;s expertise is unique, and recognised as such, and that is why everyone is so interested in our technologies and experience.&quot;

Europe

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed a defence cooperation deal focused on air defence, with Kyiv offering anti-drone expertise developed against Russian attacks as Riyadh faces Iranian drone threats, in a partnership Zelensky said could benefit both countries.

Ukraine, Saudi signed air defence deal: senior officials to AFP

Web Desk/AFP

Middle East

Donald Trump says Iran’s next supreme leader would need US approval to remain in power, drawing a sharp response from Tehran as clerics finalize a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the US-Israeli strikes that killed him.

All you need to know about Day 9 of US-Israeli war on Iran

Donald Trump suggests US could deploy ground troops to Iran to secure enriched uranium stockpiles as part of efforts to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear program

All you need to know about Day 8 of US-Israeli war on Iran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Finance Minister <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-finance-minister-highlight-pakistans-reform-push-at-wef-davos" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Muhammad Aurangzeb</a> held high-level meetings with Saudi and World Bank officials on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference 2026, focusing on investment follow-ups, technology cooperation and long-term development support.&nbsp;According to a finance ministry statement, Aurangzeb met Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim to review progress on Saudi investment commitments in Pakistan and broader bilateral economic cooperation. The AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies will be held on February 8&ndash;9, 2026, at Maraya Hall in AlUla.&nbsp;The annual forum is organized by Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s finance ministry in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund&rsquo;s regional office in Riyadh, and brings together finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers and international institutions from emerging economies.&nbsp;The engagements come as Pakistan seeks to deepen economic partnerships with key regional and multilateral partners, using the AlUla Conference as a platform to advance investment, trade and development priorities.&nbsp;During the meeting, the Saudi minister praised Pakistan&rsquo;s growing technology sector. He &ldquo;highly appreciated the quality of artificial intelligence and technology talent being produced by Pakistan,&rdquo; noting that it ranks &ldquo;among the top one or two globally,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;Alibrahim also expressed Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s &ldquo;keen interest in leveraging Pakistani tech professionals&rdquo; to support the Kingdom&rsquo;s ongoing technological transformation.&nbsp;Aurangzeb said Pakistan is working to formalize overseas employment pathways, sharing that the country is creating &ldquo;a structured pipeline of skilled human resources for key international markets, including Saudi Arabia,&rdquo; aimed at generating &ldquo;mutual economic benefits.&rdquo;&nbsp;The two sides also discussed progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement, with emphasis on boosting trade and economic exchanges.&nbsp;Aurangzeb assured that &ldquo;dedicated Pakistani teams are actively leading the process to finalize Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s investment commitments in Pakistan,&rdquo; and thanked the Saudi government for hosting what he described as a &ldquo;strategically significant conference.&rdquo;&nbsp;Separately, the finance minister met World Bank Group Managing Director Anna Bjerde to review Pakistan&rsquo;s reform and development agenda.&nbsp;According to the finance ministry, the meeting assessed progress under Pakistan&rsquo;s Country Partnership Framework and followed up on the recent visit of the World Bank president to Pakistan.&nbsp;Discussions covered priority sectors including energy, education, health, climate resilience, infrastructure, fiscal reforms and debt-for-development swaps.&nbsp;Both sides stressed the need for &ldquo;a more focused approach, clear performance trackers, and robust implementation&rdquo; to ensure measurable outcomes.

Economy

Pakistan’s finance minister meets Saudi and World Bank officials at AlUla Conference, advancing investment, technology cooperation and development support, while reaffirming commitments to trade, reforms and long-term economic partnerships.

At AlUla Conference, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia advance investment and tech cooperation

ISLAMABAD: The United States on Friday approved a sale of $9 billion in Patriot defense missiles for Saudi Arabia, at a point of high tensions with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-iran-wants-to-make-a-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>, AFP reported.&nbsp; The kingdom, a longtime US partner, plans to buy 730 Patriot missiles from the United States, the State Department said. The missiles are used to defend against incoming attacks. Growing pressure &nbsp;Iran has faced growing pressure after major protests against the government. Saudi Arabia has voiced caution about an <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/saudi-qatar-oman-convinced-trump-to-give-iran-a-chance-senior-saudi-official" style="color:#0073e6;">attack on Iran</a>. Condemnation of Israeli aggression&nbsp;In June last year, according to a&nbsp;state-run Saudi Press Agency&#39;s report,&nbsp;the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the &ldquo;blatant Israeli aggressions&rdquo; against Iran, which it said undermined its sovereignty and security and constituted a clear violation of international laws and norms. &ldquo;While the Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks, it affirms that the international community and the Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression,&rdquo; the report had said.

State Department says the kingdom, a longtime US partner, plans to buy 730 Patriot missiles from the United States.

US approves $9 billion in Patriot missile defense for Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen cooperation in the energy and minerals sectors, underscoring their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic and strategic ties.&nbsp;Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik held a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki, during which both sides reviewed existing collaboration and discussed new areas for partnership.&nbsp;&ldquo;During the meeting, both sides reviewed ongoing collaboration and explored new avenues for cooperation, particularly in the energy and minerals sectors,&rdquo; the information ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;Malik said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had &ldquo;vast potential&rdquo; to expand cooperation in energy and mineral development, emphasizing the importance of sustained engagement between the two countries.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination to further strengthen economic and strategic cooperation in the coming period,&rdquo; the statement added.&nbsp;The Saudi ambassador praised Pakistan&rsquo;s participation in the Future Minerals Forum held in Riyadh and stressed the value of continued dialogue to advance joint efforts in the minerals sector.&nbsp;Malik congratulated the Kingdom on the successful organization of the forum, noting that it &ldquo;offers significant opportunities for regional collaboration,&rdquo; according to the statement.&nbsp;Expressing confidence in the longstanding partnership between the two countries, Malik said the strong Pakistan-Saudi Arabia friendship was expected to yield tangible outcomes, including increased investment, technology sharing and development projects benefiting both sides.

Pakistan’s petroleum minister meets the Saudi ambassador, reviews ongoing collaboration, explores new investment avenues, and stresses close coordination to deepen economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to enhance cooperation in energy and minerals

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Harraj has said that if a trilateral defense cooperation agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye is proposed in the future, Pakistan would welcome it. Talking exclusively in Pakistan TV&rsquo;s programme The Newsroom, the minister said Pakistan enjoys very strong diplomatic and defense relations with both Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, describing them as close allies and reliable friends of the country.&nbsp; &ldquo;An agreement has already been concluded between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. It is a bilateral agreement. If tomorrow, Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia come up with a proposal, it will be a very welcoming statement as far as Pakistan is concerned,&rdquo; the minister said, adding that at present there is no trilateral agreement involving the three countries. The Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement was signed between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Riyadh in September last year, which was described as a &ldquo;strategic mutual defense agreement.&rdquo;&nbsp; The agreement aims to development aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. Harraj said Pakistan maintains close defence cooperation with Turkiye, particularly in defence industrial development, and has a similar association with Saudi Arabia. Azerbaijan is also a close partner of Pakistan in terms of defense cooperation, he added. The minister said while a trilateral framework could be a future prospect, any such arrangement would only be considered if and when a formal proposal is presented.&nbsp; &ldquo;We would be willing to deliberate once an opportunity arises,&rdquo; he said, adding that if such an agreement comes forward, it will be left for the relevant stakeholders to scrutinize it. Harraj emphasised that defense-related agreements are considered trade secrets and often involve classified information that cannot be disclosed publicly.&nbsp; Explaining the nature of defense cooperation, the minister said such collaborations can take various forms, including joint exercises, shared production of defense equipment, or joint manufacturing of components.&nbsp; He cited the JF-17 fighter jet programme as an example of successful defense collaboration between Pakistan and China. Reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s position, Harraj said bilateral defense agreements with Turkiye and Saudi Arabia are independent of each other.

The Newsroom

Federal Minister for Defense Production Raza Hayat Harraj has said that if a trilateral defense cooperation agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye is proposed in the future, Pakistan would welcome it.

Articles tagged with "Saudi Arabia"

Vance to lead US delegation as Iran confirms participation in Islamabad talks

Pakistan military condemns Saudi industrial strikes, warns of regional escalation

Islamabad, Riyadh discuss Iran tensions, back Pakistan-China peace initiative

Ukraine, Saudi signed air defence deal: senior officials to AFP

All you need to know about Day 9 of US-Israeli war on Iran

All you need to know about Day 8 of US-Israeli war on Iran

At AlUla Conference, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia advance investment and tech cooperation

US approves $9 billion in Patriot missile defense for Saudi Arabia

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to enhance cooperation in energy and minerals

Pakistan open to trilateral defense deal with Saudi Arabia, Turkiye in future: Harraj

Vance to lead US delegation as Iran confirms participation in Islamabad talks