Key facts
- Kuwait and Pakistan are in early-stage negotiations for an expanded defense pact.
- Kuwait is seeking a substantial military commitment from Pakistan, including troops, jets, drones, and an air defense system.
- Pakistan is seeking energy cooperation and investment in exchange for defense support.
- The discussions are influenced by regional tensions, particularly between the U.S. and Iran.
- Kuwait and Pakistan signed a limited defense training and joint exercise agreement in 2023.
Kuwait is negotiating an expanded defense agreement with Pakistan, seeking thousands of Pakistani troops, fighter jets, drones, and an air defense system in exchange for energy cooperation and investment. These talks are occurring amid heightened regional tensions, particularly between the United States and Iran, which have made oil-rich Kuwait vulnerable to Iranian strikes. While Kuwait hosts around 14,000 U.S. troops, its outreach to Pakistan, a U.S. security partner with cordial ties to Iran, highlights a shifting regional security landscape. Pakistan, which signed a limited security agreement with Kuwait in 2023, views such pacts as a way to secure investments and bolster energy reserves. However, analysts caution Pakistan about the risks of over-commitment in the volatile region, especially as the existing U.S.-Iran ceasefire is under pressure.