Pakistan is in early-stage negotiations with Kuwait over an expanded defence partnership, in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, according to five sources with knowledge of the talks cited by Reuters. The discussions represent a potential deepening of a more limited defence deal already in place since 2023, which covered only training and joint exercises. Kuwait is now reportedly seeking a far more substantial arrangement, modelled on Pakistan's existing agreement with Saudi Arabia — one that would include thousands of Pakistani troops stationed on Kuwaiti soil, fighter jets, drones, an air defence system, and other military facilities.
However, Pakistani officials are urging caution. "Kuwait's wish list includes everything," one Pakistani security official said, adding a firm caveat: "We are not and we cannot consider a deployment of combat troops at this stage." The comparison with the Saudi deal is complicated by the fact that Islamabad's agreement with Riyadh grew out of a decades-long strategic alliance, a depth of relationship not yet matched with Kuwait. A Middle Eastern source also noted that it was "not clear this will amount to a defence pact per se," suggesting the talks remain fluid.
The negotiations are unfolding against a dramatically changed regional security landscape. A US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, launched in late February 2026, triggered a cascade of instability across the Gulf. Iran subsequently struck targets in several Gulf states, including Kuwait, and attacked vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire memorandum was signed in June 2026, but US President Donald Trump declared it over in early July following renewed escalation. Pakistan — a nuclear-armed state with a large military and a growing domestic defence industry, including domestically produced fighter jets — has emerged as an attractive security partner for Gulf states reassessing their dependence on Washington.
The talks are not limited to Kuwait. Bahrain has expressed interest in a similar defence agreement with Pakistan, and Jordan has indicated it wants a deal covering arms procurement and military training programmes. Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia are also said to be drafting a separate trilateral defence framework. In return for these partnerships, Islamabad is seeking investment and energy cooperation, including a potential fuel storage facility in Pakistan under a government-to-government diesel supply agreement with Kuwait.
The broader significance is considerable. Pakistan, which is also co-mediating ceasefire talks between Washington and Tehran alongside Qatar, is positioning itself as both a military partner and a diplomatic actor in a region in acute crisis. Any expanded defence commitment to Kuwait — a small but strategically located Gulf state at the northern tip of the Arabian Peninsula — would inevitably raise questions about Pakistan's obligations if hostilities between the US and Iran resume, a tension that sources say is already weighing on discussions in Islamabad.