In a dramatic and potentially destabilising assertion, a senior Iranian official has claimed that Pakistan is prepared to launch a nuclear strike on Israel should Tel Aviv deploy nuclear weapons against Tehran. The statement, made by General Mohsen Rezaei &mdash; an influential figure within Iran&rsquo;s National Security Council and a veteran commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) &mdash; marks a new and alarming turn in the spiralling confrontation between Iran and Israel.
Appearing on Iranian state television, Rezaei stated unequivocally: "Pakistan has told us that if Israel uses a nuclear bomb on Iran, then Pakistan will also attack Israel with a nuclear bomb." The remark, broadcast amidst a backdrop of escalating cross-border hostilities between Iran and Israel, has drawn immediate scrutiny and concern from international observers due to its nuclear implications.
Islamabad, however, has firmly rejected the claim. Pakistan&rsquo;s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has denied any such nuclear assurance was given to Tehran, reiterating that no commitment of this nature had been made. The Pakistani government has long maintained a policy of minimum credible deterrence and strict command-and-control oversight over its nuclear arsenal &mdash; making Rezaei&rsquo;s statement all the more contentious.
Despite rejecting the notion of nuclear retaliation, Pakistan has openly expressed solidarity with Iran in the broader geopolitical contest with Israel. In the wake of Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure and following Iran&rsquo;s retaliatory missile operations, Islamabad has reiterated calls for pan-Islamic unity. On 14 June, in a speech before Pakistan&rsquo;s National Assembly, Defence Minister Asif urged Muslim-majority nations to act collectively or face the risk of being individually isolated and targeted.
&ldquo;Israel has targeted Iran, Yemen, and Palestine. If Muslim nations don't unite now, each will face the same fate,&rdquo; Asif warned, urging Muslim states that maintain diplomatic ties with Israel to reconsider their positions. He also called for an urgent session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to develop a consolidated response to Israel&rsquo;s regional military campaigns.
The Iranian-Israeli conflict has intensified in recent months, spilling beyond conventional confrontations into cyber and proxy warfare across the region. Tel Aviv continues to target Iranian supply lines to Hezbollah and other regional actors, while Iran has openly vowed retaliation for any major Israeli aggression on its soil.
Rezaei&rsquo;s assertion, whether rhetorical or strategic signalling, underscores the increasing volatility of the current standoff. If misunderstood or misinterpreted, such declarations could trigger miscalculations in a region already on a hair-trigger alert, particularly where nuclear-capable states are involved.
While analysts remain sceptical of any formal security pact between Iran and Pakistan regarding nuclear retaliation, the emergence of such discourse in public forums signals a shift in how regional actors are posturing amid heightened threat perceptions. Both Israel and Iran are deeply entrenched in a shadow war that is rapidly shifting toward overt confrontation &mdash; and the introduction of nuclear rhetoric only amplifies the stakes.
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Israel PM Netanyahu and Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenie

Islamabad denies Tehran’s claim of retaliatory strike pledge if Israel uses nukes

Iran Claims Pakistan Threatened Nuclear Strike

Islamabad denies Tehran’s claim of retaliatory strike pledge if Israel uses nukes

June 16, 2025 | 12:24 IST