Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir allegedly leveraged a joint oil transport venture with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Ahmad Vahidi to broker an agreement under which Tehran agreed to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia during the ongoing Middle East war, The Times of Israel reported, citing three anonymous officials.
The understanding was reached in late March through Munir’s mediation. The officials cited above included a Middle East diplomat, a regional intelligence official and another person familiar with the matter. The report comes as Pakistan has been mediating between Iran and the US, and has been pushing for an end to the conflict after a fragile ceasefire collapsed this month following disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent military strikes.
The report said Saudi Arabia had come under repeated Iranian attacks during the early weeks of the conflict but was largely spared after the agreement was reached.
Munir allegedly leveraged a joint oil transport venture with Vahidi that has been transporting Iranian oil to Pakistan since late last year, the report said. The venture has reportedly generated significant profits for both sides, especially amid ongoing US pressure on Iranian oil exports.
After more than three months without any Iran-attributed attacks on Saudi Arabia, Tehran fired a missile at the Gulf kingdom over the weekend. Following the strike, Munir reportedly warned Vahidi that further attacks could jeopardise the oil venture, the Middle East diplomat told The Times of Israel. The report said no further missiles have been launched at Saudi Arabia since.
A regional intelligence official cited by The Times of Israel said Pakistan sought to strengthen its ties with Saudi Arabia by positioning itself as a key intermediary and making Riyadh more reliant on Islamabad.
A Middle East diplomat criticised the oil deal, saying it effectively legitimised Iran’s demands in exchange for refraining from attacks on countries in the region. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry and the Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
The Times of Israel also reported that the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have previously faced similar allegations of reaching understandings with Iran to avoid attacks, though both countries have strongly denied such claims.
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