Russia and Pakistan Warn Against Expanding Middle East War to Saudi Arabia
Moscow accused Western powers of laying the groundwork for broader conflict with Iran, while Pakistan reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia and warned against efforts to draw the kingdom into the regional war.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Russia and Pakistan on Wednesday warned against any expansion of the Middle East conflict to Saudi Arabia, as regional tensions continued to escalate amid ongoing hostilities involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Russia's Foreign Ministry warned that Western countries could use claims that Iran is unwilling to engage in negotiations as a pretext for expanding the conflict.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, writing on her official Telegram account, responded to recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington remained open to a political agreement with Tehran but claimed Iran was not serious about negotiations.
Zakharova argued that the West was portraying Iran as unwilling to negotiate in order to prepare the ground for confrontation and war.
She said the international community had seen the same pattern before, alleging that Western governments first accuse their counterparts of refusing negotiations or failing to implement agreements before later acknowledging that diplomatic efforts had been used to prepare for military confrontation.
To support her argument, Zakharova referred to the Minsk agreements on Ukraine, saying Western officials had previously accused Moscow of failing to implement the accords before later stating that the agreements had not been intended as a final political settlement.
Pakistan backs Saudi Arabia
Separately, Pakistan expressed deep concern over what it described as attempts to draw Saudi Arabia into the expanding Middle East conflict.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry condemned threats by Yemen's Houthis against Saudi Arabia and shipping in the Red Sea.
"Pakistan is also deeply concerned over attempts to drag the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into the conflict in the Middle East and reiterates its unwavering support for the security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the ministry said.
The statement underscored Islamabad's support for Saudi Arabia's security and sovereignty while warning against any escalation that could broaden the regional conflict.
The warnings from Moscow and Islamabad come as regional tensions have intensified following President Donald Trump's approval of a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia.
According to reports cited by The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and CNN, the agreement would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own soil for civilian purposes without adopting the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, which provides inspectors with broader access to nuclear facilities.
The deal, formally known as a 123 Agreement, was fully negotiated in October 2025 but awaited Trump's approval before being submitted to the US Congress for review.
The agreement has fueled debate over nuclear proliferation and regional security, particularly as it comes amid continued US military operations against Iran, which Washington has justified in part over Tehran's uranium enrichment program.
Critics cited in the reports argue that granting Saudi Arabia domestic uranium enrichment rights without the enhanced safeguards required under the Additional Protocol marks a significant shift in longstanding US nuclear cooperation policy and could carry broader implications for regional security and the global non-proliferation framework.