The talks are in their early stages and could further be complicated by “heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.”
A drone view shows Kuwait City, following Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran, in Kuwait, February 28, 2026—Reuters
Pakistan has negotiated an expanded defense pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, according to five sources with knowledge of the talks.
The talks are in their early stages, all sources said, and could further be complicated by “heightened tensions between the United States and Iran,” one source said.
Reuters reported on Thursday that concerns were growing in Islamabad that the mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, signed last year, could drag Pakistan into the US-Iran war. After the Houthis launched an attack on Saudi Arabia on Monday, nuclear-armed Pakistan told Iran it would view attacks on the kingdom as attacks on itself.
Any defense deal with Kuwait, which has come under heavy attack from Iran this year, would also raise questions about Pakistan’s role in future U.S.-Iran mediation.
Kuwait has had a more limited defense deal with Pakistan for joint training and exercises since 2023. It is now seeking a show of force from Islamabad that would be similar to Pakistan’s deal with Saudi Arabia, including “thousands of Pakistani troops on the ground, fighter jets, drones, air defense system and other defense-related facilities,” a Pakistani government official said.
It is unclear whether Pakistan is willing to go that far, given that its deal with Saudi Arabia is the result of a decades-long close alliance with Riyadh.
“Kuwait’s wish list includes everything,” said a Pakistani security official familiar with the talks. “But let me be clear about one thing: that is not the case, and we cannot consider a deployment of combat troops at this point.”
A Middle East source confirmed Kuwait was in talks with Pakistan, including over defense acquisitions, but said it was “not clear whether this would amount to a defense pact per se”.
Reuters spoke to four Pakistani sources and one Middle Eastern source, none of whom were authorized to speak on the record.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Inter-Services Public Relations and Information did not respond to requests for comment.
Look for defense alternatives
Pakistan and the Gulf states have, over the past year, seen the benefits of entering into new regional defense pacts.
Pakistan maintains a large army and produces its own combat aircraft. This has made it a possible alternative or complement to U.S. protection among Gulf states, as the latter increasingly distrust the United States’ reliability as an ally.
Pakistan is seen as a safe bet in Kuwait, a Middle East source familiar with Kuwait’s security plans said.
“They are already on the side of the Saudis, they have a long history of defense development, they are Sunni Muslims, they have good relations with the Americans, so it is not as sensitive as other options,” the source said.
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are preparing a draft agreement for a mutual defense pact, separate from the one Islamabad has with Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Bahrain is interested in a similar pact, one source said, and Jordan has expressed interest in a deal on arms and training, three sources said.
Barrels for boots
Pakistan views defense deals with neighboring countries as a way to shore up urgently needed investments in the country.
As part of a possible deal with Kuwait, Islamabad would like cooperation on energy security – part of a broader initiative by the energy ministry to increase Pakistan’s oil and fuel reserves.
Kuwait is considering bonded fuel storage with Pakistan that would build on an existing government-to-government diesel supply agreement between the two countries, a Pakistani source with knowledge of the talks said.
Such offers could still be attractive enough for Pakistani leaders to strike a broader defense deal, two sources said, adding that negotiations are expected to accelerate once tensions between the United States and Iran ease.
Analysts warn that this could turn out to be wishful thinking. “Pakistan needs to be aware of the dangers of over-commitment,” said Muhammad Faisal, a South Asia researcher at the University of Technology Sydney.
