Islamabad and Riyadh share deep religious and economic ties. Nuclear armed Pakistan also provides a strategic deterrence umbrella for its ally. In September 2025 the two countries signed a formal mutual defense treaty. But how binding is this contract? When Iran attacked Saudi Arabia in response to joint US-Isreali strikes, Pakistan sat tight. DW's Beenish Javed explains the ties between the two countries — and why they matter now more than ever.