On October 22, 2025, the Institute for East Strategic Studies (IESS) in collaboration with the Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies (IRAS) convened a specialized webinar titled “From Borders to Alliances: The Impact of Pakistan–Afghanistan Bilateral Developments and the Saudi–Pakistan Defense Pact on the Regional Security Order.” The event brought together senior scholars in Pakistan and Afghanistan affairs to analyze evolving geopolitical dynamics in South and West Asia.

The session aimed to explore two major developments shaping current regional security dynamics:
The Saudi–Pakistan defense agreement; and The escalating tensions and military clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Speakers emphasized that in the current transitional global environment, the world is witnessing a shift from a unipolar system to a multilayered and pluralistic order. In this context, regional alliances play a decisive role in redefining power balances. Among them, the Riyadh-Islamabad defense pact– which is a bilateral process– can play an important role in the political and security balance of the region. In fact, we are seeing signs of regional countries trying to shape indigenous security mechanisms and reduce their dependence on traditional Western-oriented models; the most prominent and recent example of which is the recent Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact. On the other hand, we are witnessing some tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In both of these developments, Pakistan plays a pivotal role. 
Speakers and Key Discussions

Experts from the IESS and IRAS participated in this session. The speakers from the IESS and their topics were:
Mostafa Zandieh (Senior Analyst on South Asian Affairs)
Potential Linkages Between Pakistan–Afghanistan Tensions and Islamabad–Washington Negotiations
Dr. Fatemeh Mahroogh (Assistant Professor of International Relations, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad)
The role of Saudi–Pakistan Defense Agreement in Redefining of Global Order Mechanisms
Mir-Ahmadreza Moshref (Afghanistan–Pakistan Affairs Analyst)
Implications of the Riyadh–Islamabad Security Pact for Afghanistan
The speakers from IRAS and their topics were:
Dr. Nozar Shafiei (Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Tehran; and Afghanistan–Pakistan Affairs Expert)
Impact of the Riyadh–Islamabad Pact on future relations between the two countries, and Its Reflection in the Recent Taliban–Pakistan Conflicts.
Dr. Mohammad-Hossein Bagheri (Director of Iqbal Forum; and Expert on Pakistan Affairs)
Key Objectives Behind the Riyadh–Islamabad Defense Agreement and the Recent Taliban–Pakistan Tensions, and Their Implications for the Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Opening Remarks and Moderation

Opening remarks were delivered by:
Dr. Javad Jamali – Director, IESS
Dr. Mahmoud Shouri – Deputy Director, IRAS
Both emphasized the timeliness of such discussions amid rapid geopolitical realignments.
The session was moderated by Dr. Vida Yaghoubi, Head of the Af-Pak Studies Group at the Center for Scientific Research and Middle East Strategic Studies.