Pakistan army chief leveraged private oil venture with IRGC head to shield Saudi Arabia

Pakistani military chief Asim Munir used a clandestine joint oil transport venture with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi to mediate a crucial agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, three officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel. The deal, struck in late March, reportedly persuaded Tehran to halt its missile attacks against the Gulf kingdom.

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Scheme legitimizing Iran's protection racket

Following repeated Iranian fire in the early weeks of the conflict, Saudi Arabia experienced a period of relative calm after the agreement was finalized. Munir allegedly dangled the continued operation of their joint venture, which has been transporting oil from Iran to Pakistan since late last year and has proven highly profitable during U.S. sanctions, as leverage to secure Tehran's compliance.

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After Iran launched missile at Saudi Arabia for first time in months, Asim Munir warned Ahmad Vahidi that it jeopardized their joint company transporting oil from Iran to Pakistan

This mediation effort reportedly aimed to strengthen Pakistan's relationship with Saudi Arabia, fostering greater reliance on Islamabad. However, one diplomat criticized the agreement, suggesting it "legitimized ransom payments" demanded by Iran to avoid regional attacks. The situation took a turn when, after over three months of no attacks, Tehran fired a missile at Saudi Arabia over the weekend, prompting Munir to warn Vahidi that such actions jeopardized their shared business interests.

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legitimized ransom payments