Citing informed sources, the Reuters report said the three countries, which all host significant U.S. military bases and have found themselves on the front line of the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States, are in talks with Islamabad to bolster their defensive capabilities. The move follows a Saudi decision to station thousands of Pakistani troops, fighter jets, drones and air defence systems on its soil under a defence agreement.
Pakistan has served as the lead mediator between Tehran and Washington throughout the current war and has maintained close ties with both Iran and the Persian Gulf Arab states.
Political analysts described the diplomatic pivot as a tacit admission of the limits of American military power in the region. For weeks, Iranian missiles and drones have struck U.S. bases across Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar and Oman, while U.S.-supplied and -operated air defence batteries have struggled to intercept the incoming fire.
MNA