Pakistan deployed 8,000 soldiers and a squadron of fighters to Saudi Arabia during the war with Iran, according to a new report.
The deployment wasn’t previously disclosed and may create problems as Pakistan was serving as a neutral mediator in the conflict between Iran and the United States. Despite its mediating role since early in the war, three security officials and two government sources told Reuters that the deployment included a squadron of 16 advanced JF-17 fighters, 8,000 capable troops, and a Chinese HQ-9 air defense system. The force was described as combat-capable and intended to support Riyadh if it came under further attack.
The full timeline of deployments was unclear, but the fighter squadron was deployed in early April. The fighters and equipment were operated by Pakistani personnel and financed by Saudi Arabia, though intended mainly for a training and supportive role.
The deployment came one year after the two countries signed a defense pact, the details of which haven’t been made public. A government source familiar with the agreement, speaking with the outlet, claimed it provides for up to 80,000 Pakistani troops to be deployed to the kingdom, while two security officials claimed it involved the deployment of Pakistani warships.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Pakistani and Saudi embassies for comment.
Pakistan boasts the most powerful military in the Muslim world, and is the only nuclear-armed Muslim state. It has long enjoyed a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has grown in recent years as the kingdom seeks to augment its lagging defense capabilities in exchange for financial and economic support.
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An unspecified number of Pakistani troops were already deployed to Saudi Arabia before the war started.
The reveal of the reported deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia adds further confusion to Islamabad’s relationship with Iran. Many hawks in the U.S. have denounced Pakistan as too close to Iran, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) leading the charge. Just last week, he urged a “complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties,” after a senior U.S. official told CBS News that Pakistan sheltered multiple valuable Iranian military aircraft in its territory during the war, to shield them against U.S. attacks.