"I express deep gratitude to China, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar for their full support in reaching the ceasefire."
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has emerged as a key mediator in the Iran war, posted this on his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 8th. Three of these countries—excluding China and Qatar—held two rounds of talks with Pakistan last month to discuss mediation proposals.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which hosted four-party talks in their respective capitals of Riyadh and Islamabad, share an exceptionally close relationship that the Brookings Institution has described as "one of the longest-lasting alliances in modern times." The two nations have maintained close military cooperation since signing a defense agreement in 1967. When Pakistan faced international sanctions following its 1998 nuclear tests, Saudi Arabia's provision of 50,000 barrels of oil per day free of charge was instrumental in keeping its economy afloat. As the Islamic world's only nuclear-armed state and a key military power, Pakistan holds significant strategic value for Saudi Arabia, which aspires to regional leadership in the Middle East.
In September last year, the two countries signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) that treats an attack on either party as an attack on both. The provision, reminiscent of NATO's collective defense clause, prompted some analysts to characterize the agreement as the birth of an "Islamic NATO"—combining Saudi Arabia's economic power with Pakistan's nuclear umbrella. Reports earlier this year suggested that Türkiye would also join the SMDA. While Türkiye's participation has been officially denied, speculation persists that Saudi Arabia envisions an independent security bloc encompassing Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt. Fractures in the alliance with the United States, which had long served as the guarantor of Middle Eastern security, likely contributed to this development.
Given the still-formidable influence of the United States and Türkiye's position as a NATO member, the realization of an "Islamic NATO" remains unlikely. Nevertheless, this war has brought a new Middle Eastern power bloc—Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt—onto the international stage. China's shadow looms behind them as well. The post-war order in the Middle East appears set to become considerably more complex. As this war has demonstrated, developments in the Middle East are no longer distant concerns.
