Pakistan is negotiating with Kuwait to expand bilateral defense cooperation in
exchange for energy cooperation and investment, five people with knowledge of
the talks said. The sources said discussions are at an early stage and could be
complicated if US‑Iran tensions escalate. They added Islamabad is increasingly
concerned its defense pact with Saudi Arabia signed last year could draw
Pakistan into a US‑Iran conflict. After a Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia on
Monday, nuclear‑armed Pakistan told Iran it would view attacks on Saudi
territory as attacks on Pakistan. Kuwait has suffered multiple severe attacks
from Iran this year; any defense agreement with Kuwait would raise questions
about Pakistan’s role as a potential mediator between Washington and Tehran, the
sources said.
