Pakistan to share nuclear shield with Saudi Arabia

Mohammed bin Salman embraces Shehbaz Sharif after defence pact, 17 Sept 2025
Reuters

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.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shake hands in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 17, 2025.
Reuters

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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