The new mutual defence pact signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia this month surprised many and came just days after the Gulf region was rattled by Israeli strikes on a Hamas compound in Qatar. The agreement comes at an especially volatile time in the wake of both Iranian and Israeli strikes on Doha, and uncertainty over the future of Iran’s nuclear programme. “Even those accustomed to dramatic developments in the Middle East and South Asia were caught off guard by the announcement,” said Joshua White from the Brookings Institution.
