Pak's Asim Munir Used A Private Oil Deal In Iran To Shield Saudi: Report

Pakistan has reportedly helped shield Saudi Arabia from Iranian bombardment by brokering a secret ceasefire deal between Riyadh and Tehran in exchange for facilitating the off-the-books export of Iranian oil. The agreement, mediated by Pakistan's military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir himself, was struck in late March, while the US-Israeli war against Iran was still in its early weeks, according to a report by The Times of Israel. Munir's Profitable DealMunir mediated the Saudi-Iran deal by dangling the continued operation of a joint oil transport venture with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi, which has been quietly transporting oil from Iran to Pakistan since late last year, three officials familiar with the matter told the Israeli publication. The company is reportedly tied to both military generals and has generated massive revenue for the pair, especially during the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports. A Brokering LeverageIn the first month of the war, Saudi Arabia repeatedly came under Iranian fire like other countries in the region. However, after the deal was inked, the kingdom went largely unscathed, said sources, which included a Middle East diplomat, a Middle Eastern intelligence official, and a third official familiar with the matter. But after nearly no attacks over three months, Tehran launched a missile at the Gulf kingdom over the weekend.According to the report, soon after the attack, Munir warned the IRGC chief that such action risked the continued operation of their joint venture, a source said. Iran has fired no missiles at Saudi Arabia since.Pak's Stake In GamePakistan, the mediator between Iran and the United States in the war, has a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia, which explicitly states that any act of aggression against either nation will be considered an attack on both. Moreover, Islamabad is also interested in boosting its ties with the Kingdom, which further motivated Munir's proactiveness, making Riyadh more reliant on Islamabad, the report claimed. The move has come under the scanner, with a Middle East diplomat criticising the Saudi-Iran deal, arguing that it "legitimised ransom payments" being demanded by Iran of nations in the region to avoid being targeted in the ongoing war.Neither Pakistan nor Saudi Arabia or Iran commented on the matter yet.