WASHINGTON (May 18, 2026) – Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops and 16 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia under a mutual agreement between both countries. The agreement requires each nation to come to each other’s aid in case of an attack. Last year, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, said the agreement will also make Pakistan’s nuclear weapons available to Saudi Arabia. Reuters previously reported that Pakistan sent jets to Saudi Arabia after Iranian strikes hit key Saudi energy facilities.
At the same time, Pakistan is currently serving as a mediator between the United States and Iran, despite hints that the U.S. is prepared to restart attacks, which have been paused since the April 8 ceasefire.
For further analysis on these developments, please consider Ben Hopkins, senior associate dean of academic affairs, at GW’s Elliott School's Academic Programs, Graduate Admissions, International Exchanges, and Student Services. Hopkins is a historian of modern South Asia, specializing in the history of Afghanistan and British imperialism on the Indian subcontinent. He has authored, co-authored, and co-edited numerous books on the region, including The Making of Modern Afghanistan, Fragments of the Afghan Frontier, and Beyond Swat: History, Society and Economy along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Frontier.
To schedule an interview, please contact Nadia Payne at nadia [dot] payne
gwu [dot] edu (nadia[dot]payne[at]gwu[dot]edu) or GW media at gwmediagwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
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