Gulf insecurity is pushing Kuwait to look beyond traditional Western protection, while Islamabad sees defence cooperation as a route to energy and investment support.
Pakistan and Kuwait are discussing an expanded defence arrangement that could include Pakistani troops, fighter aircraft, drones and air-defence systems, according to sources familiar with the talks.
Reuters, in a report carried by WTAQ, said negotiations remain at an early stage and could be complicated by the escalating US-Iran conflict. Kuwait has reportedly sought a more visible Pakistani security role after coming under repeated Iranian attacks this year.
The reported discussions go beyond routine military cooperation. Kuwait has had a more limited defence arrangement with Pakistan for training and exercises since 2023. The new talks reportedly involve a broader package that could include deployments, combat aircraft, drones, air defence, energy cooperation and investment.
The talks matter because they point to a changing Gulf security market. Gulf states have long relied on the United States and other Western partners, but the current conflict is encouraging hedging. Countries exposed to Iranian missiles and drones are looking for additional defence relationships that may be politically easier, faster or more regionally acceptable.
Pakistan is attractive because it has a large military, experience in Gulf deployments and its own defence-industrial base, including combat aircraft production. But Islamabad faces a balancing problem. It has ties with Gulf Arab states while also trying to avoid becoming a direct party to a wider war involving Iran.
One Pakistani security official told Reuters that Kuwait’s “wish list includes everything,” but said Pakistan could not consider combat troop deployment at this stage. That caveat is central. A training, procurement or air-defence support package is different from a combat commitment.
EU Global has recently covered the economic pressure created by Hormuz disruption. The Kuwait-Pakistan talks show the security side of the same crisis: Gulf states are trying to reduce vulnerability through new alignments.
For Europe, the development matters because Gulf security affects energy supplies, shipping, investment and regional diplomacy. If Pakistan becomes a more active security provider in the Gulf, it could alter mediation dynamics between Iran, Arab states and the United States.
The talks remain uncertain, but their direction is clear. Gulf states are no longer treating Western protection as the only available security framework.
