ISLAMABAD– Pakistan has indicated that Turkiye and Qatar may join the nuclear-armed nation’s mutual defense cooperation pact with Saudi Arabia, as the recent US-Iran war reshapes security alignments across the Middle East and South Asia, according to Bloomberg.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif revealed in an interview with Pakistani media outlet Hum News that discussions on expanding the regional defense and economic arrangement are at various stages of completion.

"The arrangement that has been finalized, or has been partially finalized, or is being finalized, is in process," Asif said. "And if this already existing pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, if Qatar and Turkiye also join it, then it will be welcoming that such an economic and defense arrangement among countries comes to our region here so that dependence on outside the region is minimized".

The Defence Minister emphasized that the proposed arrangement is not directed against any country but aims to enhance regional stability and reduce external dependence on outside powers.

The potential expansion comes as the US-Iran war, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Tehran on February 28 and lasted 40 days before a ceasefire on April 8, has fundamentally altered regional dynamics.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed their "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement" in September 2025, committing both nations to treat an attack on either country as an aggression against both. The pact has already seen tangible military cooperation, with Pakistan deploying fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in April under the agreement's provisions.

Pakistan leveraged the ongoing conflict in the region to position itself as a credible mediator between Iran and the United States, working directly with Tehran to ensure the continued stable flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar personally warned Iranian leaders that Islamabad was bound by its obligations to Riyadh under the agreement, while simultaneously securing Iranian assurances that Saudi territory would not be used to attack Iran.

The broader realignment includes not just Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Qatar, but potentially Egypt as well, forming a coordination framework of regional powers pressing for a negotiated settlement to the Iran war.

As the region awaits clarity on whether formal negotiations between the US and Iran will resume, Pakistan continues to play its dual role: mediator between Tehran and Washington, and architect of a new regional security framework that could reshape the balance of power across West and South Asia.