Pakistan’s Nuclear Proliferation Legacy Fuels Iran’s Growing Nuclear Threat - english.pardafas.com

Pakistan’s long record of nuclear proliferation continues to pose serious risks to regional and global security as Iran’s uranium stockpile expands far beyond internationally agreed limits in 2025. Iran’s enrichment programme was significantly accelerated by clandestine nuclear assistance from Pakistan in the late 1980s and 1990s, when the Abdul Qadeer Khan network transferred centrifuge designs, components and technical know-how to Tehran. These transfers laid the foundation for Iran’s current enrichment infrastructure, enabling rapid progress toward near-weapons-grade uranium. By mid-2025, Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent has surpassed 400 kilograms, according to international assessments, placing Tehran within reach of producing multiple nuclear weapons if enrichment continues. Iran has also installed advanced IR-6 centrifuges at hardened sites such as Fordow and curtailed International Atomic Energy Agency inspections following recent strikes, further reducing transparency and raising alarm in Washington, New Delhi and allied capitals. Pakistan has attempted to distance itself from its proliferation history by portraying Khan as a rogue actor, but international evidence has long indicated systemic failures and high-level tolerance. Islamabad’s decision to pardon Khan, block full international questioning and celebrate him domestically severely undermined global non-proliferation norms and directly enabled Iran’s nuclear advance. In the present context, Pakistan’s political and diplomatic support for Iran’s nuclear position has intensified concerns. Pakistani leaders have publicly endorsed Iran’s claims of “peaceful” nuclear activity while expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, science and technology. Such alignment, even without confirmed new transfers, is viewed by analysts as legitimising Iran’s nuclear defiance and weakening pressure to restore international compliance. Pakistan’s internal instability, weak civilian oversight and non-signatory status under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty continue to make it a high-risk actor in the global nuclear order. Persistent concerns over militant infiltration, governance fragility and opaque command structures add to fears of leakage, expertise sharing or strategic miscalculation. For the United States, India and their partners, the convergence of Pakistan’s proliferation legacy and Iran’s accelerating nuclear programme represents a direct challenge to regional stability. Iran’s progress has heightened Israeli security calculations, alarmed Gulf states and further destabilised West Asia, while Pakistan’s posture complicates efforts to enforce non-proliferation standards. Security experts warn that unless Pakistan is held to stricter accountability and Iran’s nuclear activities are decisively constrained, the consequences will extend beyond the Middle East, undermining global deterrence and emboldening revisionist powers willing to bypass international rules.The post Pakistan’s Nuclear Proliferation Legacy Fuels Iran’s Growing Nuclear Threat first appeared on epardafas.com.