Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar termed as “fabricated” a video clip circulating online of an Iranian general who said that Islamabad had assured Tehran that Pakistan would nuke Israel if it attacked Iran with nuclear weapons. The comments came amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Iran and Israel trading missile fire and threats of further escalation.
“This is irresponsible and false news... “From our side, there has been no such statement. It was fabricated,” Dar said, adding that Pakistan’s nuclear policy had not changed since 1998. “Even at that time, we said that it is Pakistan’s stated policy. It is for the purpose of self-defense. It is our deterrence. It was important for parity, peace, and security in this region,” he said.
A senior Iranian official claimed that Pakistan would launch a nuclear strike on Israel if it uses nuclear weapons against Iran. "Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses a nuclear bomb on Iran, then Pakistan will also attack Israel with a nuclear bomb," General Mohsen Rezaei, an IRGC commander and member of Iran’s National Security Council, said on Iranian state television.
While Islamabad has rejected any talk of nuclear retaliation, it has expressed open support for Iran in the broader confrontation with Israel. Following the attack on Tehran, Pakistan had vowed to "stand behind Iran", calling for Muslim unity against Israel. Dar also said that Pakistan was in favor of the success of the Iran-US nuclear talks.
