TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Pakistans defense minister said his nations nuclear program will be made available to Saudi Arabia if needed under the countries new defense pact, marking the first specific acknowledgment that Islamabad had put the kingdom under its nuclear umbrella.
- Other Media news -Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asifs comments underline the importance of the pact struck this week between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which have had military ties for decades.
The move is seen by analysts as a signal to the Israeli regime. It comes after Israels attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar last week killed six people and sparked new concerns among the Persian Gulf Arab nations about their safety as the Israeli war devastated the Gaza Strip and set the region on edge.
Speaking to Geo TV in an interview late Thursday night, Asif made the comments while answering a question on whether the deterrence that Pakistan gets from nuclear weapons will be made available to Saudi Arabia.
Let me make one point clear about Pakistans nuclear capability: that capability was established long ago when we conducted tests. Since then, we have forces trained for the battlefield, Asif said, the AP reported.
What we have, and the capabilities we possess, will be made available to (Saudi Arabia) according to this agreement, he added.
The two countries signed a defense deal Wednesday declaring that an attack on one nation would be an attack on both.
Neither country has responded to questions about the pact and what it meant with regard to possibly accessing Pakistans nuclear arsenal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, with which both nations have monitoring agreements, did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the Pakistani defense ministers remarks. Asif criticized Israel in the interview for not fully disclosing its suspected nuclear weapons program to the IAEA.
Pakistan long has criticized the Israeli regimes treatment of the Palestinians, but has not been directly involved in any war against it. And while neither nation has diplomatic ties to Israel, American officials had sought to mediate a diplomatic recognition deal involving Saudi Arabia before the Oct. 2023 war on Gaza.
We have not named any country whose attack would automatically trigger a retaliatory response. Neither has Saudi Arabia named any country, nor have we, Asif said in the interview. This is an umbrella arrangement offered to one another by both sides: if there is aggression against either party from any side it will be jointly defended, and the aggression will be met with a response.
The deal came a week after the attack in Doha as Persian Gulf Arab countries weigh how to defend themselves. Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023, have stretched across Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria and Yemen.
Asked if others could join the pact, the minister added, I can say the door is not closed to others.
Pakistan developed its nuclear weapons program to counter Indias atomic bombs. The two neighbors have fought multiple wars against each other, and again came close to open warfare after an attack on tourists in April in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India is believed to have an estimated 172 nuclear warheads, while Pakistan has 170, according to the US-published Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
Pakistans Shaheen 3 ballistic missile, believed to be able to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, has a maximum range of 2,750 kilometers (1,700 miles) making it capable of reaching Israel.
