‘Pakistan lacks necessary credibility’: Iran lawmaker questions Islamabad’s neutrality in mediation

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, questioned Pakistan’s neutrality in mediating with Washington, describing it as “not a suitable intermediary for negotiations” that “lacks the necessary credibility.” His remarks came as Abbas Araghchi returned to Islamabad from Oman for talks, a day after leaving without meeting US officials, a move that prompted Donald Trump to cancel the visit of his envoys.

Rezaei alleged that Pakistan “always takes Trump’s interests into account and does not say a word against the Americans’ wishes.” Citing examples, he said Islamabad was unwilling to highlight that Washington had initially accepted, and later backed away from, proposals related to Lebanon and Iran’s blocked assets.

“They are unwilling to tell the world that America first accepted Pakistan’s proposal but then went back on its word. They do not say that the Americans had commitments regarding Lebanon or the blocked assets but failed to fulfil them,” he wrote on X, adding that “a mediator must be impartial, not always leaning to one side.”

Iran’s concerns stem from a ceasefire proposal put forward by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 8. The proposal included a comprehensive ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel and the release of Iranian assets. However, senior US leaders, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance, later rejected these conditions, calling Tehran’s position insufficient. Moreover, several media reports and social media users claimed the draft of the Pakistan PM's tweet, which briefly carried a "Draft" tag in its edit history, was directly influenced or sent by the White House.

Also Read: Iran FM returns to Pakistan following Oman visit and US envoy cancellation

The ceasefire was eventually reached after sustained pressure from Iran, including threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. Reports also suggested that a draft of Sharif’s statement, briefly marked as “Draft,” may have been influenced externally, fuelling Rezaei’s claims.

Meanwhile, a second round of talks scheduled for April 25 stalled after Araghchi left Islamabad without meeting US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Although he returned on April 26, the future of negotiations remains uncertain, with Trump continuing to make unverified claims in the media and on Truth Social while maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Concerns over Pakistan’s neutrality are further linked to its 2025 Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia. Critics within Tehran argue that Islamabad's reliance on Saudi financial support and its military obligations to Riyadh prevent it from acting as a truly neutral party.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)