As Pakistan-mediated talks got underway in Islamabad to end the US-Iranian war, Pakistani fighter jets quietly landed at a Saudi air base on April 11, a sign that Islamabad is preparing for a larger and long-term role in Gulf security.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Defense, the aircraft were deployed under the September 2025 Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) between Islamabad and Riyadh. While framed as being in response to recent Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia, the delayed deployment — coming six weeks after the first Iranian strikes against the kingdom — suggests a calculated move by Pakistan to balance its mediation role in the US-Iranian talks with a growing security commitment to the Gulf.

Since Israel and the United States launched their war against Iran on Feb. 28, Saudi Arabia has been subjected to a number of attacks by Iranian missiles and drones, though less frequently than those against Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Given these strikes on Saudi territory, Pakistani military involvement had been expected much sooner than events ultimately unfolded.

Although Islamabad managed to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, mere hours later on April 7, Iranian drones and missiles struck the Jubail Petrochemicals complex, after which Islamabad stepped forward to offer reassurance to Riyadh.