Pakistan's Afghanistan Airstrikes Amid Middle East Defence Pact and Iran Conflict Pressures

Pakistan signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia in September 2025, aligning itself in the Middle East amid rising Iran-Saudi tensions. Recently, Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan, including one on a Kabul hospital that killed over 400 people, drawing international condemnation. While Islamabad cites counterterrorism motives, some analysts suggest the strikes may serve as a diversion from pressures related to the Iran conflict and regional geopolitical challenges.