A senior Iranian military official has sparked global alarm by claiming that Pakistan will retaliate with a nuclear strike on Israel if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorizes the use of nuclear weapons against Iran.
Pakistan Denies Iran’s Claim of Nuclear Retaliation Promise Against Israel Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
General Mohsen Rezaei, a high-ranking commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and member of Iran’s National Security Council, made the statement during a televised interview on Iranian state television amid soaring tensions in the Middle East.
“Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses a nuclear bomb on Iran, then Pakistan will also attack Israel with a nuclear bomb,” Rezaei said.
His remarks came as Iran and Israel engaged in a fierce exchange of missile attacks, contributing to a rapidly deteriorating regional security situation. According to Iranian media reports, the ongoing conflict has claimed at least 248 lives—230 in Iran and 18 in Israel—so far.
Rezaei reiterated that Pakistan had assured Tehran of a tit-for-tat nuclear response if Iran were targeted, claiming Islamabad had pledged to “stand behind Iran” in the face of Israeli aggression. He also urged Muslim unity against Israel, calling it a threat backed by Western powers.
Neither Israeli nor Pakistani officials have commented on any such nuclear understanding. The claim, however, has added fuel to fears of a potential regional or even global conflict should the situation escalate further.
Israel and Pakistan are among the nine nations globally recognized as nuclear-armed states, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
Amid escalating tensions, Iranian General Mohsen Rezaei claimed that Pakistan has pledged to “stand behind Iran” and urged Muslim nations to unite against Israel. He pointed to growing camaraderie following a hostile missile exchange between Iran and Israel earlier in 2024, and further asserted that Tehran possesses undisclosed capabilities not yet revealed to the world.
While Islamabad has firmly denied any commitment to nuclear retaliation, it has openly voiced political support for Iran in the broader confrontation with Israel. Following a strike on Tehran, Pakistan reiterated its solidarity with Iran and called for unity across the Muslim world against Israel, described by many in the region as a Western-backed Jewish state.
Speaking in the Senate today, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that the statement and news attributed to an Iranian general regarding a nuclear attack on Israel are false and “fake news.”
The Pakistani Foreign Minister’s statement comes at a time when social media and news outlets were circulating reports attributed to an Iranian military officer, claiming that in the event of a nuclear attack on Iran, Pakistan would launch a nuclear strike on Israel.
While addressing the Senate on Monday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister said, “This is fake news.”
“Pakistan’s nuclear program is a trust of our nation. The Pakistani nation has achieved this program through immense sacrifices.”
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, swiftly rejected the nuclear claim, asserting that no such assurance was given to Iran. In a follow-up post on X, Asif warned that Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal—especially amid such volatility—could provoke further aggression and heighten the risk of a wider regional conflict.