Statecraft With Geeta Mohan: Saudi-Iran Rivalry Puts Pakistan's Regional Ambitions Under Pressure

Pakistan's carefully balanced Middle East strategy is facing its biggest test in years. After Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched missiles at Saudi Arabia, fears are growing that Islamabad could be pulled into a wider regional conflict. With a mutual defence pact signed with Saudi Arabia, thousands of Pakistani troops deployed in the Kingdom, and its recent role as a mediator between the United States and Iran, Pakistan now finds itself walking a diplomatic tightrope. Can Islamabad continue balancing ties with Tehran and Riyadh, or will it be forced to choose a side if the conflict escalates? What does Pakistan's defence agreement with Saudi Arabia actually require? And how could a widening Saudi-Houthi confrontation reshape the strategic landscape of the Middle East? In this report, we examine Pakistan's military commitments, its economic dependence on Gulf energy supplies, the risks posed by the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, and why the latest Houthi attack could derail Islamabad's ambitions to emerge as a regional diplomatic power. As tensions rise across West Asia, Pakistan may soon face its most difficult foreign policy decision in decades. Watch the full analysis to understand why one Houthi missile attack could have consequences far beyond Saudi Arabia and Yemen, potentially redefining Pakistan's role in one of the world's most volatile regions. #Pakistan #SaudiArabia #Iran #Houthis #Yemen #MiddleEast #USIran #ShehbazSharif #Geopolitics #WestAsia #RedSea #Saudi #PakistanArmy #WorldNews #IndiaTodayGlobal India Today Global is the international arm of India's most trusted media organization — delivering factual, up-to-date news, analysis, and insights from India and around the world. From politics and business to culture and global affairs, we cover it all. Built for the digital-first English news audience and the Indian diaspora worldwide, we are the channel that connects India to the world and the world to India. 🎙️ Statecraft - Executive Editor Geeta Mohan cuts the noise, decodes the truth, and dissects the forces shaping global power, from geopolitical shifts to military strategies and economic levers. 🌐 Namaste World - Your daily wrap of the biggest stories from around the globe. Concise, sharp, essential. 🔍 Point of View - We hold people accountable. The questions others won't ask, asked here. 🗺️ Zoom In - Wars, conflicts, and tensions simplified with maps and context that actually make sense. 🤝 Diplomatic Diaries - Ambassadors have a public face. We show you the other one. No stone unturned. No question unasked. 🔔 Subscribe - because the world doesn't wait, and neither should you. Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/ITGGlobal Follow us on Instagram:   / indiatodayglobal   Follow us on Facebook:   / indiatodayglobal   Follow us on Website: https://www.indiatoday.in/global Watch our marquee shows: EXCLUSIVE: President Putin Says "We Will Take Donbas by Force" in His Most Shocking Interview    • EXCLUSIVE: President Putin Says "We Will T...   Trump Demanded Seven Countries Send Warships to Hormuz. Every Single One Refused | Statecraft Ep 307    • Trump Went to War With Iran, Begged for a ...   Afghanistan Claims Pakistan Bombed Kabul Hospital Killing 400, 250 injured | Namaste World EP 81    • Afghanistan Claims Pakistan Bombed Kabul H...   From B-52 to B-21 Raider: The Evolution of America’s War Machine | Zoom In With Sandeep Unnithan    • From B-52 to B-21 Raider: The Evolution of...   US Iran War: Military Bases in the Gulf, For Israel or the Arab World? | West Asia War | POV Ep 5    • US Iran War: Military Bases in the Gulf, F...   Inside Australian Envoy’s Delhi Residence | Diplomatic Diaries Exclusive    • Inside Australian Envoy’s Delhi Residence ...