President Donald Trump gave Pakistan the responsibility to secure a nuclear agreement between Iran and America. Therefore, Pakistan joined several rounds of talks involving America, Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar.
However, a different story has now emerged from those meetings. Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said defence talks with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have almost reached completion. Moreover, he said officials may sign this agreement soon.
This move has created a setback for America. Until now, most Middle East nations depended heavily on American security support. Therefore, Pakistan’s new push has raised major questions.
Three Facts Behind America’s Concern
First, CBS News reported that Pakistan, while acting as America’s mediator, hid Iranian planes at its bases during war. Satellite images revealed this claim. Pakistan allegedly kept those aircraft safe from American and Israeli attacks.
After this report, Trump’s close lawmaker Lindsey Graham accused Pakistan of betrayal. However, Pakistan rejected this allegation.
Second, Khawaja Asif said Pakistan recently held several meetings with Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. During these meetings, leaders discussed the formation of Islamic NATO. Now, that proposal has reached its final stage.
Interestingly, Pakistan had linked these meetings to the Iran-America agreement effort. However, the defence minister’s statement has changed that picture.
Third, Pakistan and Iran recently signed an agreement on Gwadar Port. Under this deal, Iran can send or sell its goods through Gwadar. This move also gave America another setback.
The concern grew because America had announced action against Iranian ships outside Hormuz. Therefore, the Gwadar arrangement gained more importance.
Why Islamic NATO Has Entered The Debate
Now, the bigger question concerns the need for Islamic NATO. Former Qatar Prime Minister Hamad bin Thani said Israel wants to change the Middle East structure. Therefore, he supported a Gulf or Islamic NATO to counter that risk.
In 2025, Pakistan signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia. Under that deal, Saudi Arabia received a nuclear security guarantee from Pakistan. Now, Pakistan wants to expand this model across the Middle East.
In return, Pakistan expects money from these countries. This matters because Pakistan currently carries debt above 10 billion dollars. Therefore, the proposed defence arrangement links security goals with Islamabad’s financial expectations.
