logo
Amid Irans Threat To Israel, A Look At How Many Nuclear Warheads Pakistan Has

Amid Irans Threat To Israel, A Look At How Many Nuclear Warheads Pakistan Has

NDTV6 hours ago

Iran's National Security Council member and IRGC General Mohsen Rezaei recently claimed that Pakistan had assured nuclear retaliation against Israel in the event of a nuclear attack on Iran. The statement was made during a televised interview amid ongoing missile exchanges between Iran and Israel. So far, around 248 deaths have been reported, 230 in Iran and 18 in Israel.
"Pakistan has assured us that if Israel uses a nuclear bomb on Iran, they will retaliate with a nuclear bomb on Israel," Rezaei stated. Pakistan, however, has firmly denied this claim.
This isn't the first time Pakistan's nuclear arsenal has been referenced during a conflict. Over the years, several Pakistani military officials and politicians have cited the country's nuclear capability amid heightened tensions.
Earlier in April 2025, tensions escalated sharply when Pakistan's Minister Hanif Abbasi openly threatened India with nuclear retaliation. He stated that Pakistan's missile systems- Ghori, Shaheen, and Ghaznavi-along with 130 nuclear warheads, are "kept only for India."
Given the frequent references to Pakistan's nuclear capability, here's a closer look at the country's nuclear strength, based on a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal: Estimated to possess 100-120 nuclear weapons.
Delivery Methods: These warheads are designed for delivery via aircraft and land-based missiles.
Storage Protocols: It's widely believed that in peacetime, Pakistan stores warheads separately from their delivery systems.
Official Stance: The Strategic Plans Division (SPD), which controls the arsenal, has not confirmed these arrangements publicly.
Warhead Material: Pakistan's nuclear weapons are believed to use highly enriched uranium (HEU).
Production Facilities: HEU is produced at gas centrifuge facilities located in Kahuta and Gadwal, Punjab.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India has more nukes than Pakistan, China far ahead: SIPRI report
India has more nukes than Pakistan, China far ahead: SIPRI report

Indian Express

time24 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

India has more nukes than Pakistan, China far ahead: SIPRI report

India has more nuclear warheads than Pakistan, even as China has over three times more warheads than what India has, the latest Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) yearbook released Monday stated. As per the SIPRI yearbook 2025, India has 180 nuclear stored warheads as of January 2025, while Pakistan has an estimated 170. China has 600 nuclear warheads as of January 2025, of which 24 are deployed warheads or those placed on missiles or located on bases with operational forces. The report said that India is believed to have once again slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems. It said India's new 'canisterised' missiles, which can be transported with mated warheads, may be capable of carrying nuclear warheads during peacetime, and possibly even multiple warheads on each missile, once they become operational. It added that Pakistan also continued to develop new delivery systems and accumulate fissile material in 2024, suggesting that its nuclear arsenal might expand over the coming decade. It also briefly referred to India's launch of Operation Sindoor. 'The combination of strikes on nuclear-related military infrastructure and third-party disinformation risked turning a conventional conflict into a nuclear crisis,' said Matt Korda, Associate Senior Researcher with SIPRI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme. The SIPRI report also said Russia and the US have the largest military stockpile of the nine nuclear forces at 5,459 and 5,177, respectively, including retired warheads. It said Russia, China, India, Pakistan and North Korea deploy dual-capable missiles and all are believed to be modernising these capabilities. 'Up until the mid 2000s, only France, Russia, the UK and the USA deployed missiles with multiple warheads. Since then, China has developed two missiles to carry multiple warheads, while India, Pakistan and North Korea are all currently pursuing this capability,' it said. Talking about India's growing stockpile of nuclear weapons, it said these weapons were assigned to a maturing nuclear triad of aircraft, land-based missiles and SSBNs. 'It has long been assumed that India stores its nuclear warheads separate from its deployed launchers during peacetime; however, the country's recent moves towards placing missiles in canisters and conducting sea-based deterrence patrols suggest that India could be shifting in the direction of mating some of its warheads with their launchers in peacetime,' the report said. It added that although Pakistan remains the focus of India's nuclear deterrent, India appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons capable of reaching targets throughout China. It also said that 162 states were recipients of major arms in 2020-24 and the five largest arms recipients were Ukraine, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which together accounted for 35 per cent of total arms imports.

Pakistan Shuts Border With Iran As Tehran Trades Strikes With Israel
Pakistan Shuts Border With Iran As Tehran Trades Strikes With Israel

NDTV

time39 minutes ago

  • NDTV

Pakistan Shuts Border With Iran As Tehran Trades Strikes With Israel

Islamabad: Pakistan has closed all its border crossings with neighbouring Iran for an indefinite period, provincial officials said on Monday, as Israel and Iran trade intense strikes and threaten further attacks. "Border facilities in all five districts -- Chaghi, Washuk, Panjgur, Kech and Gwadar -- have been suspended," Qadir Bakhsh Pirkani, a senior official in Balochistan province, which borders Iran, told AFP. Crossing into Iran "has been suspended until further notice", said Atta ul Munim, an official at one of the crossings in Chaghi district. However, there was "no ban on trade" activities at the border and Pakistani nationals needing to return to their the country from Iran can cross, he added. "We're expecting around 200 Pakistani students coming today," Atta said. On Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said 450 Pakistani pilgrims were evacuated from Iran, with more to follow, as well as from Iraq -- the two countries hosting the holiest sites in Shiite Islam. Pakistan, the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons, said on Friday it "stands in solidarity with the Government and the people of Iran" against strikes by Israel, which both Islamabad and Tehran do not recognise. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned that the world "should be wary and apprehensive about Israel's nuclear prowess" and accused it of lacking "any international nuclear discipline". Israel is the Middle East's only nuclear power, although undeclared. Media reports have said Pakistan may support Tehran if the conflict was to widen, but officials in Islamabad have reiterated that their country is only showing "moral and diplomatic solidarity". Predominantly Sunni Pakistan shares a more than 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Shiite-majority Iran. The relationship between the two neighbours has been complex, with Pakistan often wary of US-led sanctions on Tehran and also mindful of its ties with Riyadh, which has repeatedly helped rescue its economy by rolling over overdue debts. Bilateral trade between the two countries stands at around $3 billion and officials have vowed to boost it to $10 billion in the coming years.

Inda-Pak tensions disrupt Sikh pilgrimages, raise corridor security concerns
Inda-Pak tensions disrupt Sikh pilgrimages, raise corridor security concerns

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Inda-Pak tensions disrupt Sikh pilgrimages, raise corridor security concerns

Amritsar: The conflict between India and Pakistan — triggered by the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives — is having major religious repercussions, particularly for Sikh pilgrims. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has been forced to suspend planned visits to Pakistan and the remains closed for daily pilgrimages to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (Kartarpur Sahib) in Pakistan. SGPC secretary Partap Singh on Monday announced that the committee would not send a jatha to Pakistan to observe the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on June 29, citing travel restrictions imposed by the Centre. He said that a jatha scheduled for May 15, intended to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, also could not proceed for the same reason. Singh appealed to the central govt to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor, stressing the importance of allowing devotees to fulfil their religious aspirations by visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, via the Integrated Check Post at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. India had suspended the day-long pilgrimage to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib on May 7, just hours after the launch of Operation Sindoor, citing security concerns for pilgrims. Meanwhile, a religious ceremony was reportedly held at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore on Monday to observe the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev. This follows an "unprecedented" symbolic reception ceremony organised by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) at Wagah (Pakistan) on June 9, which media reports suggest was aimed at "inflaming Sikh religious sentiments as part of its ongoing anti-India agenda". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meanwhile, as more details of Pakistan's alleged espionage network emerge, questions are being raised about the management of the Kartarpur Corridor. It is becoming increasingly evident, according to sources, why the Pakistani govt opted not to entrust the corridor's management to the PSGPC. Instead, it established a new entity, the Project Management Unit (PMU), placing it under the direct control of senior officials from the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Intelligence agencies indicate that all three people recently arrested on spying charges – Devender Singh Dhillon, Jyoti Malhotra, and Jasbir Singh – had visited Kartarpur Sahib, which is reportedly under the ISI's direct control. According to media reports, Brigadier Muhammad Latif of the Pakistan Army was appointed as the PMU's first chief executive officer (CEO), later replaced by Muhammad Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi, a senior ISI deputy director general. Further concerns were raised when Pakistan constituted a nine-member management team, comprised solely of Muslim officials, to oversee the operations of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur. Indian intelligence sources have expressed concern that the appointment of Ramesh Singh Arora as the first Sikh minister in Pakistan's Punjab province may be a strategic move by the ISI. As president of the PSGPC, Arora is reportedly being positioned to expand the ISI's influence among Indian Sikh organisations, using religious outreach and cross-border engagements as a cover for intelligence operations. MSID:: 121884138 413 |

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store