The Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Mutual Defence Pact of September 2025, where the countries pledged mutual support during any external aggression, has raised the question of whether India is losing friends and drifting into diplomatic isolation with countries with which they have had friendly or at least neutral relations.
Saudi Arabia and India have, for some time, at least, enjoyed very positive relations. Another one, where a shift was evident, was with the United States’ stance and its President, Donald Trump. This does make people wonder about India’s position in the global political arena.
US
The United States (US) has traditionally had close relations with India, especially in recent years, with strategic partnerships, trade, and defence.
The friendship between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump has also been a topic of much conversation. While the US has maintained ties with Pakistan over the years, regardless of what is happening, the recent allyship shown by the Trump administration with Pakistani authorities has come under scrutiny.
These include Pakistan supporting Trump’s application for the Nobel Peace Prize and Trump inviting Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, to the White House in June for a lunch meeting.
The US and Pakistan have reportedly increased counterterrorism and economic cooperation in 2025, and Trump also publicly praised the country’s counterterrorism efforts.
Saudi Arabia
On September 17, 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a ‘Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement’, declaring that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an attack on both.” The pact was signed in Riyadh by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.
The joint statement said, “The two sides reviewed the historic and strategic relations between both countries, and a number of topics of common interest.”
It further stated, “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
India has also maintained strong and friendly ties with Saudi Arabia since 1947. According to a Firstpost report, “India is Saudi Arabia’s second biggest trading partner, while Riyadh is New Delhi’s fifth largest trading partner.”
The two countries also have defence relations, with both conducting two bilateral naval exercises of the ‘Al Mohed Al Hindi’.
A senior Saudi official, however, has stressed that the agreement is “not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalisation of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries,” and that “Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace whichever way we can.”
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Former ambassador Kanwal Sibal, in a post on X/Twitter, wrote that “This is a serious development with many implications for India. India has reacted swiftly and sees this as a threat to its national security. Will a follow up to Operation Sindoor if Pakistan sponsors another brutal terrorist attack against India be seen as an attack on Saudi Arabia?
Given the tensions between Pakistan and India this Saudi step is strategically most adventurous. Pak will feel emboldened and so will its jihadi organisations to target India.
This pact means that funds will flow from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan to strengthen its armed forces. Pakistan is being rehabilitated strategically. Began with Trump courting Pak army chief. Pakistan is openly offering nuclear cover to the Arab countries against Israel. This is ridiculous. Israel is out of control in the region but poses no existential threat to Pakistan or to Saudi Arabia.
Its attack on Qatar is a grave provocation but Saudi Arabia and the UAE are hostile to Hamas and have tensions with Qatar over its links with the Muslim Brotherhood. Israel and Saudi Arabia have in fact had communication channels operating for a long time.
Saudi Arabia has announced its willingness to establish ties with Israel depending on a resolution of the Palestinian issue. This Pak- Saudi mutual defence pact has serious implications for Iran too. Saudis have privately applauded Israeli strikes against Iran. Trump’s full backing of Israeli destruction of Gaza has put pressure on Arab countries. But is the answer for Saudi Arabia to seek Pakistan’s military protection and move away from the US?
A grave mis-step by Saudi Arabia. A politically unstable and economically broken Pakistan as a security provider is a dangerous proposition. Saudi Arabia knows this will be construed in India as a threat to India’s security.”
Turkey
Turkish military experts have also been assisting the Pakistani military, and the two countries have a history of cooperation on defence projects, including Turkish support for Pakistan’s naval capabilities.
Meanwhile, although Turkey and India had neutral relations, reports about such steadfast support of Pakistan under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have led to that deterioration.
India launched “Operation Dost” after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey in 2023, offering relief teams, drones and aid supplies. In tourism as well, India’s 3.25 lakh tourists to Turkey in 2024 have contributed to the country’s tourism economy.
On May 8, Indian authorities confirmed that 300-400 unmanned aerial vehicles tried to cross into Indian territory from 36 different locations. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, speaking with the media, said, “Preliminary reports suggest they are Asisguard’s Songar drone from Turkey.”
Reports also came out about Lt. Gen. Yasar Kadioglu, along with a high-ranking Turkish military delegation, visiting the Pakistan Air Force headquarters just a few days after this.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Hindu, Firstpost, Business Standard
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: India, pakistan, pakistan saudi arabia, pakistan US, pakistan US trump, US, US trump, US india, trump india
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