Will US, Saudi Arabia Order Pakistan To Attack Iran? India's Chabahar Port In Danger?

Islamabad: Pakistan is anticipated to soon join the Third Gulf War in support of Saudi Arabia and the United States. If this happens, Pakistan could regain its role as America's top regional ally, a position it has been seeking for decades. This could also enable it to overthrow the Taliban regime in Afghanistan with US support. However, this would require Pakistan to redeploy US troops to Bagram Air Base. Furthermore, Pakistan could also attack Iran's Chabahar port to harm India.

Why would Pakistan join the fight against Iran?

Diplomatic experts believe that Pakistan could cite defense agreements with Saudi Arabia. Iran has carried out dozens of attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days. Iran claims it is only targeting US military infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, but this does not appear to be the case. Iran is clearly not deterred, but Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reminded Pakistan of Pakistan's defense agreement with Saudi Arabia. In such a situation, it is believed that if Iranian attacks continue, Pakistan may also join them.

Why is Pakistan in trouble?

Experts say that Pakistan's defense pact with Saudi Arabia is meant to prevent attacks, not just reduce their number and intensity. However, this has not happened, as Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has claimed. He believes that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are now faced with the dilemma of either activating their mutual defense pact to jointly escalate the fight against Iran. If this happens, they may coordinate with the US, or quietly accept their militarily weakness and simply wait for the war to end.

Why might Pakistan join the war against Iran?

Pakistan has three major reasons for attacking Iran, all of which are directly in its interest. First, it could regain its position as America's largest ally in the region, a position usurped by India. This has resulted in the suspension of US military aid to Pakistan. Furthermore, Pakistan lacks US support on international fronts. It could become an exclusive consumer of US military technology and weapons, which would accelerate its military preparations against India.

Will Pakistan Target Iran's Chabahar Port?

Secondly, engaging in a war with the US and Saudi Arabia could provide cover for eliminating India's enemy port in Chabahar, Iran. India has long been developing the Chabahar Port, which is seen as a direct counter to the Gwadar Port. India plans to trade through this route not only with Afghanistan but also with Central Asian and European countries. In such a scenario, Pakistan could target the Chabahar Port under the guise of an attack on Iran.

Will Pakistan Seek US Help Against Afghan Taliban?

Thirdly, this could help it team up with the US against the Taliban and bring back US troops to Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. Pakistan also wants to end Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Even if it wanted to, it could not do this alone. This is why Pakistan could join forces with Saudi Arabia and the United States in the war against Iran.