Pakistan: From Denial of Nuclear Newsmonger to Warning to India

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Pakistan’s diplomatic establishment has been facing dual challenges in recent days; on the one hand, trying to contain the side effects arising from security claims in relations with Iran and the United States, and on the other, the confrontation with India over strategic water resources. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has officially and firmly denied published reports that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar transferred sensitive information about Iran’s nuclear program to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The speculation escalated after former CIA analyst Larry Johnson claimed that Rubio was given information from the Pakistani side during a May 29 meeting in Washington that detailed Iran's possible actions to maintain its independence. This claim comes as Marco Rubio, in a recent US congressional hearing, denied receiving any message that Iran was "ready to test a nuclear weapon if tensions persist."

The diplomatic tensions come as the atmosphere in West Asia remains tense. The fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US, which was reached in April, is now facing serious risks with sporadic clashes in the Strait of Hormuz and missile attacks on some US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Confrontation with India over the Indus Treaty

On another front, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi issued a strong warning against India’s plans to build a connecting tunnel to divert water from the Chenab River to the Beas River.

The project, reportedly set to begin on August 1 for Rs 26.2 billion, aims to transfer 1.9 million acre-feet of water (2.34 billion cubic meters) annually, a massive volume estimated to be almost 12 times the full capacity of the Karaj Dam.

Islamabad insists that India’s move is a clear violation of the Indus Treaty (1960), which granted Pakistan the right to exploit the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab). Pointing out that the project jeopardizes the water, food, and economic security of 250 million Pakistani citizens, the spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that the country will maintain "all necessary options" to defend its national interests and legal rights against this blatant violation of international law.