NEW DELHI: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” this week, raising questions about whether Riyadh could gain access to Pakistan’s nuclear shield at a time of heightened regional tensions.
The pact, announced on Wednesday, combines Saudi financial strength with Pakistan’s powerful military, the only nuclear-armed force in the Muslim world, according to analysts cited by Reuters.
Few details of the agreement have been disclosed, and Islamabad maintains that its nuclear weapons are solely aimed at deterring India. However, Gulf Arab states have expressed concerns about Israeli military actions, while Saudi officials suggested the pact covers “all military means.” Analysts told Reuters the deal reflects a waning confidence in the United States as a security guarantor.
Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters that nuclear weapons were “not on the radar” of the pact and stressed: “We have no intention of using this pact for any aggression. But if the parties are threatened, then obviously this arrangement will become operative.” He also said the agreement could extend to other Gulf nations. Riyadh, however, may view the nuclear dimension differently.
A senior Saudi official told Reuters: “This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means.” Saudi Arabia has previously stated it would pursue nuclear weapons if rival Iran obtained them. A statement from Riyadh said the pact “aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence.”
Israel, widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has never confirmed or denied possessing such weapons. Gulf leaders accused Israel of becoming a direct threat after unprecedented strikes on Qatar last week. Officials in Washington and Israel did not immediately comment on the agreement, while India said it would “study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability.”
Pakistan, with more than 600,000 soldiers, has fought three wars with India and maintains an extensive missile programme. While Islamabad insists its arsenal is focused solely on India, analysts told Reuters that Pakistan’s longest-range missiles could, in theory, reach Israel. Adil Sultan, a former officer at Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division, said: “Israel was never comfortable with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. But this capability is very modest and it is only for India.”
Last year, a senior White House official said Pakistan was developing long-range missile capabilities that could extend beyond South Asia, a claim Islamabad denied. Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center, told Reuters it was too early to draw conclusions about the nuclear aspect of the deal, but added: “Events have underscored the limitations of relying solely on external protection, especially from the United States.”
Saudi Arabia has long hosted a small Pakistani military presence, but the new pact signals a deeper engagement. Former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi told Reuters: “For Pakistan, the power projection into the Middle East is huge, even though it has inserted itself into a volatile region.”
Mushahid Hussain, a former chairman of Pakistan’s Senate defence committee, said: “Pakistan has the military capability and, in turn, what we get is economic strengthening. Pakistan is the new strategic option for these Gulf nations.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement on Thursday, thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for “his keen interest in expanding Saudi investments, trade and business ties.” Saudi Arabia has long supported Pakistan with financial aid, including a $3 billion loan last year.
The pact also comes against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s stalled efforts to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has reiterated that it will not normalise ties with Israel until the Gaza war ends and progress is made toward Palestinian statehood.
Pakistan says its nuclear program can be made available to Saudi Arabia under defense pact
In a late-night interview with Geo TV on Thursday, Pakistan’s defence minister offered the clearest signal yet that Riyadh could be placed under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella.
“Let me make one point clear about Pakistan’s nuclear capability: that capability was established long ago when we conducted tests. Since then, we have forces trained for the battlefield,” Khawaja Muhammad Asif said. “What we have, and the capabilities we possess, will be made available to (Saudi Arabia) according to this agreement,” he added.
His remarks marked the first explicit acknowledgment that Pakistan was prepared to extend its nuclear shield to Saudi Arabia. The two countries had already declared that any attack on one would be considered an attack on both.
Neither Islamabad nor Riyadh has clarified whether this translates into direct access to Pakistan’s arsenal. Analysts said the comments are likely to be seen as a warning to Israel, long considered the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state.
The statement came days after Israel struck Hamas leaders in Qatar, killing six people, fuelling new concerns in the Gulf about regional vulnerability amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s links to Pakistan’s nuclear programme go back decades. Retired Brigadier General Feroz Hassan Khan has said Riyadh provided “generous financial support to Pakistan that enabled the nuclear program to continue, especially when the country was under sanctions.” Pakistan endured years of U.S. sanctions for its pursuit of atomic weapons, with further restrictions placed on its missile programme at the end of the Biden administration.
The pact, announced on Wednesday, combines Saudi financial strength with Pakistan’s powerful military, the only nuclear-armed force in the Muslim world, according to analysts cited by Reuters.
Few details of the agreement have been disclosed, and Islamabad maintains that its nuclear weapons are solely aimed at deterring India. However, Gulf Arab states have expressed concerns about Israeli military actions, while Saudi officials suggested the pact covers “all military means.” Analysts told Reuters the deal reflects a waning confidence in the United States as a security guarantor.
Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters that nuclear weapons were “not on the radar” of the pact and stressed: “We have no intention of using this pact for any aggression. But if the parties are threatened, then obviously this arrangement will become operative.” He also said the agreement could extend to other Gulf nations. Riyadh, however, may view the nuclear dimension differently.
A senior Saudi official told Reuters: “This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means.” Saudi Arabia has previously stated it would pursue nuclear weapons if rival Iran obtained them. A statement from Riyadh said the pact “aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence.”
Israel, widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has never confirmed or denied possessing such weapons. Gulf leaders accused Israel of becoming a direct threat after unprecedented strikes on Qatar last week. Officials in Washington and Israel did not immediately comment on the agreement, while India said it would “study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability.”
Pakistan, with more than 600,000 soldiers, has fought three wars with India and maintains an extensive missile programme. While Islamabad insists its arsenal is focused solely on India, analysts told Reuters that Pakistan’s longest-range missiles could, in theory, reach Israel. Adil Sultan, a former officer at Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division, said: “Israel was never comfortable with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. But this capability is very modest and it is only for India.”
Last year, a senior White House official said Pakistan was developing long-range missile capabilities that could extend beyond South Asia, a claim Islamabad denied. Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center, told Reuters it was too early to draw conclusions about the nuclear aspect of the deal, but added: “Events have underscored the limitations of relying solely on external protection, especially from the United States.”
Saudi Arabia has long hosted a small Pakistani military presence, but the new pact signals a deeper engagement. Former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi told Reuters: “For Pakistan, the power projection into the Middle East is huge, even though it has inserted itself into a volatile region.”
Mushahid Hussain, a former chairman of Pakistan’s Senate defence committee, said: “Pakistan has the military capability and, in turn, what we get is economic strengthening. Pakistan is the new strategic option for these Gulf nations.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement on Thursday, thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for “his keen interest in expanding Saudi investments, trade and business ties.” Saudi Arabia has long supported Pakistan with financial aid, including a $3 billion loan last year.
The pact also comes against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s stalled efforts to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has reiterated that it will not normalise ties with Israel until the Gaza war ends and progress is made toward Palestinian statehood.
Pakistan says its nuclear program can be made available to Saudi Arabia under defense pact
In a late-night interview with Geo TV on Thursday, Pakistan’s defence minister offered the clearest signal yet that Riyadh could be placed under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella.
“Let me make one point clear about Pakistan’s nuclear capability: that capability was established long ago when we conducted tests. Since then, we have forces trained for the battlefield,” Khawaja Muhammad Asif said. “What we have, and the capabilities we possess, will be made available to (Saudi Arabia) according to this agreement,” he added.
His remarks marked the first explicit acknowledgment that Pakistan was prepared to extend its nuclear shield to Saudi Arabia. The two countries had already declared that any attack on one would be considered an attack on both.
Neither Islamabad nor Riyadh has clarified whether this translates into direct access to Pakistan’s arsenal. Analysts said the comments are likely to be seen as a warning to Israel, long considered the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state.
The statement came days after Israel struck Hamas leaders in Qatar, killing six people, fuelling new concerns in the Gulf about regional vulnerability amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s links to Pakistan’s nuclear programme go back decades. Retired Brigadier General Feroz Hassan Khan has said Riyadh provided “generous financial support to Pakistan that enabled the nuclear program to continue, especially when the country was under sanctions.” Pakistan endured years of U.S. sanctions for its pursuit of atomic weapons, with further restrictions placed on its missile programme at the end of the Biden administration.
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