Okinawa in Japan hosts the largest fleet in the US navy- the seventh fleet! Nixon the infamous Watergate president was looking to get in bed with China. Pakistan was the middle man facilitating and Pakistan was in serious trouble with India threatening to run over their east wing ( now Bangladesh). That was 1971. Cold war was alive.Nixon ordered the seventh fleet to sail to bay of Bengal ; put pressure on India and give military relief to Pakistan. It almost worked!
In response, Soviet Russia honouring the pact she had with India; moved a flotilla from Vladivostok; including frigates and destroyers to a collision coordinate and checkmate the US deployment. US had no game left short of igniting a third world war! 7th fleet never arrived in the Bay of Bengal and India swiftly bifurcated Pakistan. On reflection that was a big headache cured for Pakistan and one more headache added to India. That however is quite a story for another day!
The lesson for India is that US is never to be trusted. Secondly US will always favour Pakistan for the simple reason that Pakistan can be bought cheaply to do it's bidding. India need not get confrontational but must always keep her antennas up; options open and be ready to exercise them.
Let us come back to the present times.So recently that general Munir; who awarded the rank of field marshal to himself was at the white house. It was very intriguing at the time but now things are looking a little clearer. Pak prime minister accompanied him to US too. There are of course reports of the Pak nukes being controlled by the US or the US nukes being stored in Pakistan! It kind of tallies with how the Indian offensive during May 2025 came swiftly to a halt as soon as Kirana hills ; a suspected nuclear store site was hit by the Indian missiles. We will ignore this theory today.
The paki duo's visit I feel was to thrash out the Security deal between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. America has remained absent from the actual signing but I see a clear CIA footprint here.
Ostensibly it is marketed as a defence pact for Saudi Arabia and against Israel's muscular middle east policies. A little examination does not bear this out.
Firstly Pakistan has been providing paid security services in Saudi Arabia for long and there is nothing new except new verbiage put on paper.
Secondly Pakistan against Israel in no contest whatsoever.You do not need to be a military expert to know that Israel with her iron dome, long range weaponry and F35 stealth platforms will lick Pakistan with one hand tied behind its back.
If Pakistan had any stomach for a nuclear engagement, it would have been used against India by now. They do not have the delivery system for Israel anyway. So providing a nuke umbrella to Saudi Arabia does not cut it. It is a false flag operation.
USA would strictly control any military engagement between Israel and Saudi Arabia; two of their closest allies. Pakistan's role may be zero to none.
So the question is who is this pact meant for? I would say it is directly targeting Iran ! US animosity towards Iran is not hidden. Since US embassy in Tehran was seized so long ago and shah dethroned; Iran has been a US target. Iran is also at odds with Israel and we have recently seen an exchange of long range fire between the two. What usually is papered over but happens to be the most important factor is the historical rivalry Saudi Arabia has with Iran for leadership of the ummah. There is a Shia / Sunni factor in play as well.
USA recently did another little thing! So they have long sanctioned Iran; putting hurdles in their energy sales. That was Iran's main export and which directly impacted Saudi's petroleum market share.
Then there is this India angle. India has been developing chabahar port in Iran. This port will facilitate trade with Afghanistan and erstwhile Soviet Asian republics. This port avoids Pakistan entirely and helps Iran economically. The port was exempt from US sanctions till now. This exemption is to be withdrawn soon. This exposes India to the US sanctions; puts breaks on Iranian ambitions with this port and gives a helping hand to Gwadar port in Baluchistan to usurp chabahar 's role! It potentially helps Pakistan economically and strengthens it's control on Baluchistan. I am not so sure Pakistan army will be very effective against Iranian forces in case of a direct conflict. Remember Iraq - Iran conflict not too long ago. Iraq was supported by entire west and the Arab world; Iranian forces however did pretty well all by themselves.
It is technically possible for Saudi Arabia to provide military personnel to Pakistan under this pact; but if they had personnel available why would they import so many immigrants to their country? Other than that they have provided cash and kind to Pakistan for long. They do not make any military hardware. Pakistan gets it from Turkey, China and USA.
You can see how this game is being played by USA by throwing some crumbs at Pakistan. Immediate benefit to Saudi Arabia is that Pakistan military machine will be able to confront Houthi rebellion. Pakistan army has long experience of low intensity internal conflicts. They have conducted military operations against bengali's; Pathans and Baluchi people. Bengal they lost because India intervened. They however have been able to successfully hold both Baluchistan and NWFP freedom fighters at bay.
Overall security for the Saudi state will still be in the US hands. There is no known credible immediate threat to it. Israel has no plans or even a need to engage Saudi Arabia. Saudi need to show concern for the ummah requires them to take a position that they do by making appropriate noises. Nothing more muscular.
Just day to day local armed houthi challenge and such will be now taken on by the Pakistan army units legally. This is the crux of this pact. This is where it's impact will be effective.
India will need to be watchful but I do not envisage Saudi Arabia to do anything wild in case hostilities break out between India and Pakistan. As far as this pact developing into an islamic NATO is concerned.... don't make me laugh! There is no ummah, period! They are individual states more often cross with each other than together! Let them sort out Palestine question first!
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