Pakistan’s failure to back Saudi Arabia despite a formal mutual defence pact is fuelling growing frustration in Riyadh and raising fresh doubts about Islamabad’s credibility as a strategic ally. As Iran’s attacks on the Kingdom intensify and Pakistan simultaneously deepens ties with Tehran, the contradiction is becoming harder for Saudi leaders to ignore.In September 2025, Islamabad and Riyadh signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), a pact obligating both countries to treat an external threat against one as a threat against both. However, Pakistan has yet to provide any tangible military or political support to Saudi Arabia despite recent Iranian drone and missile attacks on the Kingdom.The disconnect has raised questions within diplomatic and security circles about Pakistan’s credibility as a defence partner, particularly at a time when Saudi Arabia faces direct security threats.Compounding these concerns is Pakistan’s increasingly visible political and strategic alignment with Iran. During and after the June 2025 12-day war, Islamabad’s public messaging appeared to lean towards Tehran. The visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan in August further underscored the growing closeness between the two countries.The symbolism during that visit was striking. Islamabad was adorned with Pakistani and Iranian flags, alongside large portraits of Pezeshkian and the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Public messaging emphasised “brotherly ties,” while both governments announced plans to expand trade and deepen economic and political cooperation.This evolving alignment comes at a sensitive moment for Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by multiple waves of Iranian strikes since March. Despite the SMDA framework, Pakistan has not stepped in with concrete support.Instead, Islamabad has continued to signal political backing for Tehran. Pakistani officials have praised Iran’s conduct during the 12-day war, expressed condolences for Iranian military figures killed in the conflict, and reiterated support for Iran’s nuclear ambitions. More recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader—further reinforcing perceptions of a deepening relationship.Behind the scenes, Pakistan has pointed to its own security pressures. According to regional sources, Islamabad has privately informed Saudi authorities that its military is heavily engaged along the Afghanistan border, limiting its capacity for external deployments.Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is understood to have communicated directly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, explaining that ongoing operations along the Afghan frontier have stretched Pakistan’s military resources. Saudi officials have reportedly sought repeated clarification from both Munir and Prime Minister Sharif on Islamabad’s position regarding the defence pact.As the US-Israeli war against Iran intensifies and violence spreads across the Gulf and Lebanon, Pakistan is facing mounting pressure—both externally and domestically—to take a clearer position.Historically, Islamabad has attempted to balance relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, even playing a role in China-led mediation efforts between the two rivals. That balancing act is now under severe strain.Internally, Pakistan is dealing with multiple security challenges, including tensions with the Taliban along the Afghan border, insurgencies in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and heightened friction with India. These pressures have made the prospect of external military engagement increasingly untenable.Diplomatically, Islamabad appears to be walking a tightrope. Following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the early phase of US-Israeli strikes, Pakistan issued a muted statement expressing “concern,” while more strongly condemning Iranian attacks on Gulf states.At the same time, Pakistan’s relationship with Washington has evolved. President Donald Trump has increasingly leaned on Islamabad for insights on Iran, even describing Pakistan as a key interlocutor. Pakistan has also featured prominently in US regional diplomacy, including discussions around Gaza, while receiving American backing in its tensions with Afghanistan.However, this positioning has triggered domestic backlash. Critics, including prominent analysts and former diplomats, have accused the government of “trying to please everyone” while lacking a coherent foreign policy. Public anger has also been fuelled by incidents such as the killing of protesters at the US consulate in Karachi and the government’s muted response.With sectarian sensitivities rising, particularly in Shia-majority areas, there are growing fears that external conflicts could spill over into domestic instability.Meanwhile, shifting regional dynamics—including India’s growing engagement with Israel—have added to Islamabad’s strategic anxieties. Senior officials have warned of increasing encirclement, even as Pakistan struggles to define a clear position between Riyadh and Tehran.As tensions escalate across multiple fronts, Pakistan’s policy of strategic ambiguity is coming under strain. The longer Islamabad delays in defining its stance, the greater the risk of diplomatic fallout abroad and instability at home.