Kuwait Seeks Pakistani Troops, Jets and Air Defense in Security Deal

Pakistan and Kuwait are holding preliminary negotiations over a major expansion of their defense relationship that could include Pakistani troops, fighter aircraft, drones and air-defense systems, according to five sources familiar with the discussions.

Kuwait is seeking a significantly larger Pakistani military presence following repeated Iranian attacks on the Gulf state during the current regional war. One Pakistani government official said Kuwait had requested thousands of troops, combat aircraft, unmanned systems, air-defence equipment and supporting military facilities.

Islamabad has not agreed to the proposed package. A Pakistani security official said the government was not considering the deployment of combat troops at this stage, while another regional source cautioned that the discussions might result in weapons procurement and expanded cooperation rather than a formal mutual-defence treaty.

The negotiations would build on a defence cooperation agreement signed by the two countries in June 2023. That arrangement focused primarily on military training and joint exercises and did not commit Pakistan to defending Kuwait during an armed conflict.

The expanded proposal resembles Pakistan’s defence pact with Saudi Arabia, signed in 2025. Thousands of Pakistani personnel and a squadron of fighter jets are already deployed in the kingdom. The pact states that an attack on Saudi Arabia would be treated as an attack on Pakistan, increasing Islamabad’s exposure as the war involving the United States, Iran and regional armed groups expands.

Kuwait’s demands appear focused on strengthening its ability to intercept missiles and drones while demonstrating that attacks on the country could trigger intervention by a major regional military power. Pakistan possesses one of the Muslim world’s largest armed forces, operates several types of combat aircraft and jointly manufactures the JF-17 fighter with China.

In return, Islamabad is seeking Kuwaiti investment and cooperation on energy security. The discussions include a proposed bonded fuel-storage facility in Pakistan, which would expand an existing government-to-government diesel supply arrangement. Such a facility would allow fuel supplied by Kuwait to be stored inside Pakistan for emergency use without immediately entering the domestic commercial market.

Securing larger oil and fuel reserves has become an urgent priority for Pakistan after disruption around the Strait of Hormuz threatened its energy imports and forced the government to introduce emergency conservation measures. Pakistan remains heavily dependent on Gulf suppliers for petroleum and natural gas.

The talks are expected to advance more rapidly once tensions between Washington and Tehran ease. A Kuwaiti agreement could complicate Pakistan’s attempt to preserve relations with Iran and continue acting as an intermediary, particularly because Kuwait has been directly targeted by Iranian attacks.

The negotiations are part of a broader expansion of Pakistan’s defence relationships in the Middle East. Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are preparing a separate draft mutual-defence agreement, while Bahrain has expressed interest in a similar pact and Jordan has discussed purchasing Pakistani weapons and receiving military training.

Pakistan’s military media office and Kuwait’s Information Ministry have not publicly confirmed the talks. The negotiations remain at an early stage, and the scale of any eventual Pakistani deployment has yet to be agreed.