Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar says the new defense agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey is “purely defensive,” and is not directed against any country.

Underlying regional calculations behind the new military alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have been shaped by fear of Israel, not Iran, says an analyst.

Saudi Arabia has signed a joint defense agreement with Turkey, and Pakistan with the aim of enhancing collective security and defense cooperation, amid the declining military power of the United States in the region.

Six key members of Pakistan’s federal cabinet have held a joint meeting with Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Atabak at the Iranian Embassy in Islamabad to discuss elevating bilateral cooperation to its highest level.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has held separate telephone conversations with his counterparts from Pakistan and Oman.

Araghchi has held a series of high-level telephone conversations with his Saudi counterpart and Pakistan’s army chief as part of ongoing regional consultations aimed at preserving security and stability in West Asia.

A bombing attack in Pakistan's Swat Valley kills 14 people.