Will Pakistan nuke Israel? Islamabad denies Iranian commander's claim

Pakistan has denied an Iranian official's claim that it pledged a nuclear strike on Israel if Iran is attacked, calling the statement completely false

A senior Iranian official has stirred global alarm over the weekend by claiming that Pakistan would retaliate with a nuclear strike on Israel if Iran is targeted with atomic weapons. The statement, which appeared to draw Pakistan into a hypothetical nuclear escalation, was quickly rejected by Islamabad. Pakistan emphasised that no such assurance had been given and reaffirmed the country’s longstanding policy of strategic restraint.

 

General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a member of Iran’s National Security Council, made the claim during a broadcast on Iranian state television. “Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses a nuclear bomb on Iran, then Pakistan will also attack Israel with a nuclear bomb,” said Rezaei.

 

The remarks come amid growing volatility in the Middle East, as tensions between Iran and Israel escalate with recent exchanges of missile fire and warnings of broader conflict.   

Pakistan’s denial 

Reacting quickly, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif denied that Islamabad had ever issued such a threat or made any nuclear assurance to Iran.

 

While dismissing the claim of nuclear retaliation, Pakistan has reiterated its political support for Iran in its standoff with Israel. Following recent attacks on Tehran, Islamabad pledged to “stand behind Iran” and called for Muslim unity against what it described as Israeli aggression.

 

On June 14, addressing Pakistan’s National Assembly, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, “Israel has targeted Iran, Yemen, and Palestine. If Muslim nations don’t unite now, each will face the same fate,” he said, as quoted by Turkiye Today.

 

He further urged Muslim-majority countries with diplomatic relations with Israel to reconsider their ties and pushed for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to develop a unified strategy. 

Nuclear policies under scrutiny 

The latest tensions have brought renewed focus to the nuclear stances of Israel and Iran. Israel follows a policy of nuclear ambiguity — neither confirming nor denying it has nuclear weapons. Still, it is widely believed to have a strong arsenal aimed at deterring regional threats.

 

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes like energy and medicine. As a Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory, it denies pursuing nuclear weapons.

 

However, concerns remain. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western countries have raised repeated alarms over Iran’s uranium enrichment and missile activities, suggesting possible military goals.