Pakistan is struggling to remain neutral as the war against Iran intensifies
Islamabad has so far pursued cautious diplomacy, condemning the strikes on Iran while at the same time urging de-escalation. But analysts warn that it cannot remain isolated from competing pressures.
“Pakistan presents itself as a mediator between the United States and Iran, but not convincingly,” Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. “Its record of staying out of military engagements is not impressive.”
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At the forefront of tensions is a new defense agreement with… Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaWhich states that aggression against one of them will be treated as a threat to both. It is widely seen as one of Pakistan’s most important defense agreements, binding the country to Riyadh, while risking a confrontation with Iran.
Shiite Muslims carrying pictures of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei take part in an anti-US and anti-Israel protest in Islamabad on March 6, 2026. (Aamer Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)
Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Islamic state, has forces stationed in Saudi Arabia for training and defense support, and said there was “no question” of providing assistance to the kingdom.
“Remember, Pakistan is a geographic part of both South Asia and Central Asia, as well as the broader Gulf/Middle East and North Africa region as well. Pakistan has always sought peace, dialogue and order because we know what war does to our region,” Musharraf Zaidi, the Pakistani prime minister’s foreign media spokesman, told Fox News Digital.
Within days of the outbreak of war, the country’s army chief, General Asim Munir, made an “emergency” visit to Saudi Arabia, where senior officials discussed joint responses to Iranian strikes. This was the first real test of the agreement.
Relations between the two countries are strong, and Riyadh remains Islamabad’s main economic lifeline. Saudi Arabia has already made arrangements to support energy supplies, with fuel outages due to the war Pakistan, which depends on imports.
However, Pakistan’s relationship with Iran is no less important.
The two countries share a 565-mile border along with deep trade ties and important religious ties.
Pakistan is home to the second largest Shiite community in the world after Iran. Protests in support of the Iranian regime following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned bloody, forcing the army to intervene and impose a curfew.
maintenance Relations with Tehran is crucial to containing internal tensions and staving off insurgency from the Baloch minority there.
Iran is also an important economic partner of Pakistan, which is facing a severe economic crisis. The two are doing big business, with a new goal of $10 billion by 2028.
The Pakistani Foreign Minister held “ongoing talks” with his Iranian counterpart throughout the conflict. Last week, it mainly crossed a Pakistani oil tanker The besieged Strait of Hormuz. Analysts noted that it was the first non-Iranian cargo ship to do so since tensions escalated, suggesting that safe passage may have been negotiated. Officials add that more oil tankers bound for Pakistan are likely to cross the strait in the coming days.
A screenshot of a marine traffic terminal showing ships in the Strait of Hormuz on March 4, 2026. (Kepler/Marine Traffic)
Most of Pakistan’s imports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas pass through the Strait of Hormuz. But as the war continues, analysts warn that Pakistan’s room for neutrality is shrinking.
Pakistan recently opposed Iran and supported a resolution led by the Gulf states at the United Nations condemning the regional aggression. Russia and China abstained from voting.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister has just called for regional coordination in separate calls with Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt.
Shiite Muslims carrying pictures of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei take part in an anti-US and anti-Israel protest in Islamabad on March 6, 2026. (Aamer Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Islamabad must also navigate Relations with Washingtonanother major partner.
Under the president Donald TrumpIn his second term, Pakistan sought closer ties with the United States, even putting forward his name for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Questions also arise in Washington. During a White House press conference, Press Secretary Caroline Levitt He said the administration was coordinating with the Pentagon to assess whether Pakistan was supporting Iran, while describing India as a “good player.”
India’s position has added further pressure, with the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New Delhi, India on February 25, 2026. (Photo by Press Information Bureau (PIB)/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Zaidi, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s spokesman, said: “There is no contradiction in the absolute commitment to peace, dialogue and order. Pakistan’s strong relations with the United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran and China are a testimony to Pakistan’s commitment.”
To date, Pakistan has effectively positioned itself at the forefront of mediation efforts to end the ongoing conflict, leveraging its relationships with the three powers.
Reports indicate that high-level talks between the US and Iran are scheduled to be held in Islamabad this weekend.
“Pakistan wants to be of interest to the United States and be a better partner than India. As the Afghan Taliban has alienated Islamabad since 2021, there are only a few points of tension left between the United States and Pakistan, with the latter able to emerge as an ally against terrorism,” Fitton-Brown said. “Most regional parties want to see the crisis end sooner rather than later. But no one wants to see the Islamic Republic strengthened in Iran.”
The escalating war comes at a critical time for the already exhausted Pakistani army. Tensions with India remain high, while border clashes, air strikes, drone attacks and rising civilian casualties have become the norm with previously friendly countries. Neighboring Afghanistan.
The two countries descended into an “all-out war”, just days before the Iranian conflict erupted, and the violence shows no signs of abating after new Pakistani strikes that recently hit the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghan-Pakistani border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following an exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces. (Reuters/Stringer/Archive Photo)
“This geography and the history of the region are the reason behind Pakistan’s steadfast rejection of India’s efforts at regional hegemony, and that is why Pakistan seeks to end the Afghan Taliban regime’s support for terrorist groups,” Al-Zaidi said. He added, “We seek a complete halt to terrorism emanating from the lands currently controlled by the Afghan Taliban movement.”
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With Pakistan already managing tensions on its eastern border with India and its western border with Afghanistan, destabilizing Iran could lead to further tension.
“If you destabilize Islamabad, it will be very bad news regionally and globally,” Edmund Fitton-Brown told Fox TV. “The idea of a nuclear power under jihadist rule is not worth considering.”
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