Pakistan’s defence minister has said the country’s nuclear capability will be available to Saudi Arabia if required under a newly signed mutual defence pact.
Khawaja Mohammad Asif made the remarks in an interview with Geo TV on Thursday night, describing the agreement as a framework that allows both countries to respond jointly to any act of aggression.
The pact was signed on 17 September in Riyadh by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
It states that an attack on one of the two nations will be considered an attack on both.
Asif said Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence, established since its first tests in the late 1990s, would be extended to Saudi Arabia under the agreement. He criticised Israel for not declaring its suspected nuclear arsenal to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The IAEA has not yet commented on the minister’s statement.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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