Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has once again questioned Pakistan's credibility as a mediator between the United States and Iran in ongoing ceasefire talks, pointing to Islamabad's long-standing hostility towards Israel and calling its role problematic. The remarks came after Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected US President Donald Trump's appeal for Islamabad to join the Abraham Accords. Asif said Pakistan would not back any agreement that went against the country's fundamental ideologies.
Graham's allegations
Graham also alleged that Pakistan was allowing Iranian military aircraft to operate from its air bases. He described comments made by senior Pakistani leaders about Israel as disturbing and argued that these positions raised serious concerns over Pakistan's neutrality in any mediation effort. It has been apparent to me for quite a while that Pakistan as a mediator is more than problematic. Their animosity towards Israel is long-standing. It is undeniable that Iranian military aircraft are being housed on Pakistani air bases, and past rhetoric from the highest Pakistani officials against Israel is disturbing, he wrote in a post on X.
Response to Asif's comments
Referring to the Pakistani defence minister's recent comments, Graham said the statements reflected a deeper sentiment within Pakistan towards Israel. He also urged Islamabad to publicly respond to Trump's call for the country to become part of the Abraham Accords. As to the defence minister's comments about the Abraham Accords, saying that Pakistan would never join because they don't trust Israel. The clip may be a year old, but I fear the sentiment is fresh. In that regard, it is imperative that Pakistan give an answer now to President Trump's call to join the Abraham Accords, he said.
Asif's stance on Israel
During an interview with Pakistani broadcaster Samaa TV, Asif was asked whether Pakistan could eventually sign the Abraham Accords amid reports of diplomatic pressure and signalling from Donald Trump. Personally, I don't think we should join any such accord that clashes with our fundamental ideologies, Asif said during the interview. He also cast doubt on the reliability of engaging with Israel and questioned whether meaningful trust was possible. How will you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day? he asked. Reaffirming Pakistan's long-standing position on Israel, Asif added, We have a very clear stance that this is not acceptable to us. He further referred to Pakistan's passport policy as evidence of the country's refusal to recognise Israel. And secondly, on our passports, we are the only country whose passports don't even include Israel's name, he said.
Trump's push for Abraham Accords
The latest exchange follows Trump's broader push for more Muslim and Arab nations to enter the Abraham Accords as part of a wider regional arrangement linked to a potential understanding with Tehran. Trump claimed negotiations with Iran were proceeding nicely. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump described the proposed regional agreement as a possible Historic Event for the Middle East. He also called on countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to join the Abraham Accords together. Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or no Deal at all, Trump wrote. He warned that if talks failed, it could mean Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before. Trump also said Saudi Arabia and Qatar should sign the accords immediately after any agreement with Iran is reached, while encouraging other nations to follow suit.
Background of Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords were brokered by the United States in 2020 and led to the normalisation of diplomatic, economic and security relations between Israel and several Arab nations. Catch all LIVE updates on the US-Iran conflict here.
