ISLAMABAD: The chief of the Saudi armed forces on Monday relayed his country’s desire to ele­vate its defence and strategic partnership with Pakistan to new heights.

Saudi Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Ge­­neral Fayyadh Bin Ham­e­­ed Al Rowaili is currently on a visit to Pakistan and held meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, and other senior officials.

During their meeting, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed his commitment to further str­engthening the “histo­ric fraternal relations” be­­tw­e­­en the two countries in all sectors, including econ­omic, defence and security.

Meanwhile, the two mi­­litary leaders also discu­s­sed strengthening the “lo­­ngstanding and strategic” cooperation between the two countries, focusing on defence, security and counterterrorism eff­orts, ISPR said in a statement.

Top Iranian official in Islamabad for talks

Field Marshal Munir and General Al Rowaili met at General Head­quar­ters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, where “both leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, with a particular focus on strengthening strategic military co­­operation between Pakis­tan and Saudi Arabia,” the statement said.

Ali Larijani arrives

Meanwhile, Ali Lari­ja­­ni, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Secu­ri­­ty Council, reached here on Monday for talks with senior Pakistani leaders.

Mr Larijani is expected to meet Pakistan’s political and military leadership during the visit.

His trip follows Speaker of the Majlis Bagher Ghalibaf’s visit to Islamabad last month, marking the second high- level Iranian delegation to Pakistan in weeks.

In a post on X before landing in Pakistan, Mr Larijani said: “Iran and Pakistan are two important and influential countries in ensuring lasting security in the region, and we always pay close attention to the brotherly relations between the countries of the region.”

Tehran has voiced reservations about Trump’s Gaza plan.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2025