Pakistan’s defense minister said the country’s nuclear capability “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia under a new defense pact, signaling a strengthened alliance amid Middle East tensions.
Pakistan has declared its nuclear capability will extend to Saudi Arabia under a new mutual defense pact signed in Riyadh this week. Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif told Geo TV Thursday that “the deterrence that Pakistan gets from nuclear weapons” could be shared with the kingdom if required. “What we have, and the capabilities we possess, will be made available to (Saudi Arabia) according to this agreement,” he said.
The deal, signed Wednesday by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, states that an attack on one country will be treated as an attack on both. Analysts say the move signals to Israel, believed to be the region’s only nuclear-armed state, following its recent strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar.
Both nations have long-standing military ties, with Saudi Arabia previously financing Pakistan’s nuclear program. Asif stressed the pact is defensive, saying any aggression “from any side” will be jointly resisted.
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