Pakistan Condemns Saudi Drone Attack as Trump Claims Serious Iran Talks

 

The Pakistan Times — Islamabad, July 27, 2026

Pakistan Condemns Drone Attack on Saudi Arabia as Trump Claims 'Extremely Serious' Talks With Iran

Pakistan's Foreign Office has condemned a drone attack targeting Saudi Arabia, calling it a grave threat to regional peace, even as US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington's negotiations with Tehran have entered their most serious phase yet, while warning of a forceful military response should the talks collapse. The Pakistan Times breaks down the official statements, the wider regional reaction, and what analysts are saying about where this standoff is heading.

Pakistan's Official Condemnation

According to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office, Islamabad described the drone attack targeting Saudi Arabia as "provocative" and warned that such actions pose "a grave threat to peace and stability across the entire region." The Foreign Office also reaffirmed Pakistan's "strong and unwavering support" for Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said the drones had been launched from Iraqi territory and were intercepted before they could strike oil facilities in the kingdom's Eastern Province and near Riyadh.

Pakistan's condemnation carries particular weight given the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed between Islamabad and Riyadh in September 2025, which states that "any aggression against either country shall be considered aggression against both countries." According to earlier Foreign Office statements, Pakistan had already warned that any aggressive action against Pakistan-flagged vessels or the country's maritime interests in the region would be treated as a "grave threat" that could result in the "lawful use of force."

Regional and International Reaction

Iraq's government has also responded to the incident. According to a statement from Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's spokesman, Sabah al-Numan, the prime minister has ordered "competent security authorities" to investigate Saudi Arabia's claim that the drones originated from pro-Iran armed groups operating inside Iraqi territory. Separately, the Gulf Cooperation Council's Secretary General, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, condemned the attack, describing it as a "dangerous escalation" and "a flagrant violation of international law and a direct threat to regional security and stability," according to a GCC statement.

Trump's Claims on Iran Talks

Speaking to reporters, President Trump described the current round of negotiations with Iran as the most serious to date, saying, "I think they're being serious... they are being by far the most serious that we've seen them, but that doesn't mean we get there. We'll see what happens." According to a Times of Israel liveblog citing regional sources, "significant" progress has reportedly been made in the talks, though Trump simultaneously warned that "very strong military action" would follow if the negotiations ultimately fail.

Trump has repeatedly signalled optimism about a possible deal with Iran in the past, only for talks to falter and military action to resume, according to reporting from RFE/RL. Earlier in the week, Trump told Axios he was weighing a "massive attack" on Iran that would be "bigger than anything seen in the war so far," arguing that Iran had "not received enough pain yet."

Pakistan's Mediation Role

According to Reuters, cited by CNBC, Pakistan has been working to help restart stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran, with three Pakistani sources describing Islamabad's renewed diplomatic push. That report reportedly helped lift investor sentiment, with stock markets rising and oil prices easing on hopes that a negotiated off-ramp to the conflict might still be possible. Separately, according to reporting from Dropsite News, Pakistan has also requested a $10 billion fund in connection with its role in the Iran negotiations, though the request had not been formally confirmed by Pakistani officials at the time of publication.

What Analysts Are Saying

According to retired US Admiral James Stavridis, speaking on CNN, Saudi Arabia already maintains "a very close relationship with Pakistan and a reasonable relationship with Russia," both of which possess nuclear programmes, suggesting that Riyadh's deepening ties with Islamabad could factor into how Gulf states approach their own long-term security calculations amid the ongoing crisis. Pakistani commentators, meanwhile, have generally framed Islamabad's position as one of calculated balance: standing firmly behind Saudi Arabia as a treaty ally while simultaneously trying to preserve enough credibility with Tehran to remain a useful mediator between Washington and Iran.

Our Analysis

Pakistan's position in this crisis is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. As a treaty-bound ally of Saudi Arabia and a longtime neighbour of Iran with deep economic and security interests on both sides, Islamabad is being pulled toward taking sharper sides even as it tries to preserve its credibility as a potential mediator between Washington and Tehran. The reported request for a $10 billion fund, if confirmed, would suggest that Pakistan sees real financial and strategic costs attached to playing this role, not just diplomatic goodwill. With attacks continuing to spread across Iraq, the Red Sea, and now potentially threatening Saudi oil infrastructure directly, Pakistan's ability to maintain this balancing act may depend heavily on whether the "extremely serious" talks Trump has described actually produce a breakthrough in the coming days, or whether the region tips further toward the kind of full-scale confrontation Trump has also threatened.

What Comes Next

According to Pakistan's Foreign Office, Islamabad's position on supporting Saudi Arabia's sovereignty remains unchanged regardless of how the US-Iran talks proceed. Attention now turns to whether the reported progress in negotiations translates into a concrete de-escalation, or whether Trump follows through on his warning of "very strong military action" should talks collapse.

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Sources: Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 

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