Pakistan's military spokesman says its troops have been in Saudi Arabia for decades across multiple domains

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military's media wing, said Pakistani troops are in Saudi Arabia and have been there "for decades" across multiple domains, Dawn reported. He presented the presence as a long-standing arrangement, not a new commitment.

Earlier reporting suggests the deployment has grown since the Iran war began. In May, Pakistani security officials and government sources said Pakistan had sent about 8,000 troops, a squadron of about 16 aircraft (mostly JF-17 fighters developed with China), and a Chinese HQ-9 air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense pact, according to reporting carried by the Denver Gazette and The New Arab. The two countries signed the pact on September 17, 2025, and both say it obliges each to defend the other if attacked. Khawaja Asif, Pakistan's defense minister, has implied that it places Saudi Arabia under Pakistan's nuclear protection. One government source said the pact allows up to 80,000 Pakistani troops to be deployed. Pakistan has also served as the main mediator in the Iran war.

The United States is reducing its own presence in the region. It has ended its military mission in Iraq, the South China Morning Post reported. Analysts told the paper this gives Baghdad more room to diversify its partnerships and indirectly helps China's energy and commercial interests. They also said it is unlikely to leave a gap that Beijing could fill.