Iran Claims Pakistan Will Retaliate with Nukes If Israel Attacks
Tensions in the Middle East reached a new high after Iranian General Mohsen Rezaee, a senior figure in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and National Security Council, claimed that Pakistan has pledged to launch a nuclear strike on Israel if Iran is targeted with nuclear weapons. The statement was made on Iranian state television, drawing global concern and swift rebuttals from Islamabad.
Pakistan nuclear warning?
Rezaee’s remark, “Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses nuclear missiles, we will also attack it with nuclear weapons,” suggested a rare and alarming alignment between two nuclear-armed Islamic nations. His assertion implied that Islamabad had offered Iran a nuclear deterrent guarantee in case Israel escalates the ongoing conflict with atomic weapons.
Islamabad denies any commitment
The Pakistani government swiftly rejected the Iranian general’s claim. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons policy is rooted in credible minimum deterrence and strictly defensive posture. Islamabad reaffirmed it had given no assurance to any country regarding offensive use of its nuclear arsenal. Officials described the Iranian claim as “completely baseless and irresponsible.”
Heightened risk of escalation
This statement comes amid rising fears of regional war, with Israel’s ongoing operations against Iranian infrastructure and retaliatory missile threats from Tehran creating a volatile environment. The reference to Pakistan’s Shaheen-III ballistic missiles, which are capable of striking Israel, adds further anxiety to the geopolitical climate.
Security analysts have warned that such nuclear posturing—even when denied—adds dangerous ambiguity and miscalculation risks. The public invocation of nuclear war, even as a deterrent, can dangerously shift the strategic calculus of all players in the region.
