Pakistan should be empowered to mediate end to Iran war

Israel surprisingly struck close to the Pakistan Embassy in Tehran on Thursday. This was not by chance. The area near the embassy was hit because Pakistan is trying to play a role in ending the war and, obviously, Israel does not want that to happen. The US last week delivered a 15-point plan to Iran via Islamabad.

After the decapitation of its leadership in the opening days of the war, Iran’s position hardened. It did not back down. Of course, backing down in the face of those assassinations would have been an admission of defeat. Both the US and Iran are in a tough position and need an off-ramp — a graceful exit — and this is where effective mediation is needed.

Pakistan is today playing the role of the conveyor. It delivers messages between the two sides. This is not enough to reach a solution and bring an end to the war. Effective mediation is needed. For mediation to work, a mediator needs to be empowered. The mediator needs to have leverage on both sides. Pakistan has good relations with both countries but does not have significant leverage on either.

Both the US and Iran need an off-ramp — a graceful exit — and this is where effective mediation is needed

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

Pakistan has excellent relations with Saudi Arabia, with the latter being the center of the Muslim world. The foreign ministers of several Arab and Muslim states have already convened in Riyadh to discuss the current crisis and issue a joint statement. However, to solve the ongoing crisis, more than a joint statement is needed. For Pakistan to be able to conduct effective mediation, it needs strong backing. Pakistan has reportedly announced that it is ready to host talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad.

The war needs to come to an end, as the repercussions are spiraling out of control. As of now, a solution is not within reach as the demands of the two parties are so far apart. Both Iran and the US need to be realistic in order to bridge the gap and bring the war to a conclusion. Turkiye and Egypt have also expressed their readiness to help with the mediation. Prior to the American-Israeli strikes on Iran, Ankara urged the US to solve its problems with Tehran “one by one.” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Washington to focus on the nuclear issue, as Iran was ready to negotiate over its nuclear program.

However, Washington preferred to use its leverage and take advantage of the dire situation in Iran to negotiate all the dossiers at once via a take-it-or-leave-it deal. It demanded Tehran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third party, end its domestic uranium enrichment program, limit its missile program and cease its support for proxy groups.

US envoy Steve Witkoff, in an interview broadcast a week before the start of hostilities, said President Donald Trump was “curious” as to how the Iranians had not “capitulated.” Now that it is obvious that Iran will not capitulate easily, the US should welcome mediation and back down from its maximalist demands.

Now it is obvious Iran will not capitulate, the US should welcome mediation and back down from its maximalist demands

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

A mediator’s role is to bring about a deal that will not make any party look as if they have capitulated. If the US still insists on capitulation, then the mediation of Pakistan or anyone else will not work. However, if the US becomes more realistic and realizes that Iran is not exactly Venezuela and that the war has global repercussions, then mediation could work. However, even with such a change of approach, pressure is needed to secure an arrangement that will end the war and make sure it does not resume.

Mediation is needed now before a major escalation. The US is contemplating sending 10,000 more troops to the Middle East, in addition to the 5,000 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division that were sent to the region last week. The troops are reportedly set to invade Kharg Island, from which Iran exports 90 percent of its oil. Iran has threatened that if the island is attacked, it will attack its Gulf neighbors’ energy infrastructure. On the other hand, Trump has said that if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz by April 6, the US will hit its power facilities. Of course, Iran would retaliate in such a scenario. This escalation would be very dangerous.

While Trump has said that talks are ongoing, Iran has denied this. The US president even announced that Iran had given him a “present” by allowing 10 Pakistani-flagged tankers to safely navigate the strait. Iran, meanwhile, touted its preference for Vice President J.D. Vance as a chief negotiator instead of Witkoff or Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Therefore, there is a window for negotiation before a major and destructive escalation takes place.

This is why Pakistan’s role should evolve from a simple messenger to a mediator. Muslim countries can back Islamabad in order for this to happen. They should throw all their weight behind Pakistan so that it can be a successful mediator. They should be willing to use their leverage with the US and Iran to back Pakistan’s effort before it is too late.

• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.