As the US-Iran conflict enters its third month, Gulf states are quietly restructuring their security arrangements, with Saudi Arabia turning to Pakistan as a key partner amid growing doubts over Washington's reliability. In September 2025, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in Riyadh, and Pakistani military aircraft were deployed to Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Air Base in April — a move that underscored Riyadh's desire to diversify its defence partnerships beyond the United States. Pakistan's rising strategic relevance stems from its unique position as a nuclear-armed Sunni Muslim power with ties to Iran, China, and Washington, a combination that has also made Islamabad a central mediator in efforts to broker a ceasefire between the US and Iran.