CDF Munir discusses Iranian attacks in meeting with Saudi defence minister

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to discuss the ongoing Middle East conflict and Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia.

A statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued on Saturday said that the CDF visited the Kingdom and met with the defence minister.

The two “discussed the gravity of the security situation accruing from Iranian drone and missile attacks on the Kingdom”, as well as joint measures needed to halt them within the framework of the strategic mutual defence agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last year.

According to the statement, it was emphasised that unprovoked aggression undermined efforts for regional security and stability and foreclosed options for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

“Both sides expressed hope and desire that brotherly country Iran would manifest prudence and sagacity to avoid any miscalculation and strengthen the hands of friendly countries seeking peaceful settlement of the crisis,” the ISPR added.

Earlier, Al Saud had posted on social media platform X about the meeting. He urged Iran to “exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation”, following repeated missile and drone launches at the kingdom.

After meeting with Pakistan’s military chief, the Saudi minister posted on X: “We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them … We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation.”

The two countries have long shared a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, mutual economic interests, and shared Islamic heritage. These ties have encompassed economic assistance and energy supplies, with Riyadh being a significant source of financial aid and oil for Islamabad.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar disclosed that Pakistan’s diplomatic intervention helped deter heavier Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia, amid ongoing missile and drone barrages targeting United States military bases and allied facilities across the Gulf.

A day later, Pakistan formally requested that Saudi Arabia provide an alternative oil supply route through Yanbu to maintain its fuel supply chain in the wake of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

In September of last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” in Riyadh, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.