(MENAFN) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday formalized a strategic mutual defense agreement between their nations.

The signing occurred during their meeting in Riyadh, according to a state news agency, which cited a joint statement.

“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” the statement noted.

Under the pact, “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”

The Pakistani leader arrived in Riyadh early Wednesday for a visit of unspecified length.

The accord between Saudi Arabia and nuclear-capable Pakistan follows closely on the heels of an Israeli strike in the Qatari capital that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari officer.

The assault took place while Doha, alongside Egypt and the US, was facilitating indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel regarding a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap.

By targeting Qatar, Israel expanded a broader campaign that has already encompassed attacks on Iran in June, near-daily strikes in Lebanon and Syria, and a prolonged two-year war in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

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