Earlier this week Islamic countries Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact, greatly deepening and formalizing decades-long security partnership amid heightened regional tensions. Big on the minds of Gulf leaders is the long reach of Israel's military and intelligence, following last week's unprecedented strike on the capital of Qatar, which infuriated Arab leaders.
Late Thursday, Islamabad officials revealed that a significant part of the pact is the sharing of nuclear capabilities. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif made clear that Pakistan's nuclear capabilities would be extended to Saudi Arabia if necessary. Of course, on the other side of this there's India, which is going to be angry and alarmed.
It marks the first ever explicit confirmation that Pakistan has placed Saudi Arabia under its nuclear umbrella, again - significantly at a moment Gulf tensions are rising with nuclear-armed Israel.
The defense pact, which signed at a ceremony in Riyadh Wednesday, spells out that an attack on one country will be considered an attack on both, Asif confirmed.
Though they are proud to publicize the nuclear-sharing agreement, neither Pakistan nor Saudi Arabia has clarified whether the agreement includes actual access to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
Such a scenario would be a game-changer in the region, which could possibly remove or take care of a key incentive for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham accords. All of this also signals Riyadh's desire to be less dependent on American security guarantees and protection in the region as Israel is increasingly seen as just doing what it wants.
Peace or 'normalization' with Israel is now off or at least on indefinite hold due to the Gaza crisis, but Saudi Arabia was said to be demanding Washington approval of a nuclear energy development program. On the Israel issue, the Saudis are trying to downplay the curious timing of the defense pact:
“This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalization of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries,” a senior Saudi official told Reuters.
Pakistani officials have underscored Saudi Arabia's crucial role in its past nuclear program, as it offered "generous financial support" that helped sustain its nuclear development.
This helped Pakistan's program and broader military endure periods of international sanctions, related to US punitive actions related to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.