When Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stood in Tehran praising the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he probably thought he was doing standard diplomatic outreach. He called the deceased cleric a "great scholar and leader" and promised that Pakistan and Iran would march together under all circumstances.
Back in Washington, the reaction wasn't warm. It was explosive.
US Senator Rick Scott immediately went on the attack, reminding everyone of the heavy baggage Islamabad carries. He bluntly pointed out that Washington is dealing with a country where Osama bin Laden hid for a decade, where lopsided blasphemy laws persecute religious minorities, and where the leadership actively praises a tyrant.
Scott's fury isn't an isolated incident. It highlights a massive, unresolved contradiction in American foreign policy. Why on earth is Washington using Islamabad as a central peace broker with Iran?
The Problem with a Double-Dealing Mediator
The current US-Iran ceasefire negotiations are incredibly fragile. Tensions are sky-high after military conflicts involving the US, Israel, and Iran. Yet, President Donald Trump has chosen to keep Pakistan in the mediator seat, calling them "great" before a trip to Beijing.
Capitol Hill isn't buying it.
You can't blame them. Pakistan has built a decades-long reputation for playing both sides of every geopolitical conflict. They took billions in US security aid while elements of their intelligence apparatus sheltered the Taliban. They claimed to be a frontline ally in the War on Terror while Osama bin Laden lived comfortably near a premier military academy in Abbottabad.
Now, we're seeing reports that Iran has actually been parking military aircraft at Pakistani bases near Islamabad to keep them safe from US and Israeli strikes. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry called those reports "misleading," claiming the planes were only providing logistical support for the peace talks.
Whether it's logistics or a safe haven, the optics are terrible. Senator Lindsey Graham raised the issue directly during a Senate committee hearing, confronting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Graham made it clear that if Iranian military assets are sitting on Pakistani tarmac, Washington needs to find a new intermediary immediately.
Religious Persecution and Regional Realities
The hypocrisy goes deeper than military aircraft. Senator Scott didn't just highlight foreign policy blunders; he targeted Pakistan's internal human rights record. The selective enforcement of blasphemy laws to target Christians and other minorities shows a fundamental disconnect with Western values.
Then there's the long-standing animosity toward Israel. Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif previously declared that Islamabad would never join the Abraham Accords because they don't trust Israel.
This creates a massive roadblock for peace. A true mediator needs to be viewed as relatively neutral by all major stakeholders. If Pakistan refuses to recognize Israel, actively praises Iranian leadership during a tense ceasefire, and allegedly hides Iranian hardware, it cannot act as an honest broker.
Who Should Actually Table the Peace Talks?
If Pakistan is too compromised to handle the job, who should step in? Capital hill insiders are pushing for a completely different approach to the Middle East negotiations.
Relying on nations with histories of harboring bad actors isn't working. Instead, the US should lean heavily on regional players who have a direct stake in stability and proven partnerships with the West.
- United Arab Emirates: The UAE has demonstrated a willingness to reshape regional dynamics through the Abraham Accords and maintains sophisticated diplomatic channels.
- Saudi Arabia: As a dominant Sunni power, Riyadh has a vested interest in a stable, contained Iran and possesses the economic leverage to back up diplomatic pressure.
- Direct Quad-Style Coalitions: Instead of a single flawed mediator, a coalition of established allies would provide a more balanced, reliable framework for checking Iran's nuclear ambitions and stabilizing the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House might want a quick diplomatic win, but ignoring the character of the mediator is a dangerous shortcut. You don't build lasting peace by relying on a state that plays double games. Washington needs to stop overthinking regional diplomacy, face the reality of Islamabad's track record, and pivot to partners who don't praise the very adversaries the US is trying to contain.
