Pakistan’s defense minister has said the country’s nuclear deterrent “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if needed under the new bilateral defense pact—marking the clearest indication yet that Islamabad would extend a nuclear umbrella to the kingdom. The announcement underscores the strategic weight of the agreement struck this week between two long-standing security partners.
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In a televised interview, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif linked the pledge directly to the pact, noting Pakistan’s long-tested nuclear capability and trained forces. He emphasized that what Pakistan possesses “will be made available” to Riyadh in line with the accord’s terms, which declares that an attack on one would be treated as an attack on both.
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The timing follows heightened regional anxiety after an Israeli strike targeting Hamas figures in Qatar, amid a broader conflict arc stretching from Gaza to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. While officials did not name any specific adversary, the signal is read by analysts as reshaping regional deterrence dynamics, even as investigations and diplomacy continue on multiple fronts.
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Officials stressed that the arrangement is an “umbrella” of joint defense against aggression from any quarter, with both sides coordinating responses and exploring pathways for other partners to join. Nations across the Gulf are reassessing security frameworks, and the pact may serve as a template for future collective defense arrangements.
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Historically, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close defense ties, and analysts often note the kingdom’s past financial support to Islamabad during periods of sanctions. Pakistan’s program was designed to deter India, and both countries remain nuclear-armed rivals. Against this backdrop, the new pact elevates the strategic partnership and could influence calculations from Tehran to Tel Aviv.
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