Pakistan stepped in as Iran-US crisis edged toward nuclear brink, diplomat warns
Senior Pakistani figure outlines near-global conflict, criticises Israeli actions, and highlights Islamabad's pivotal diplomacy in the Iran-US crisis
By Safeer Raza
ISLAMABAD (MNTV) — Pakistan’s growing role as a diplomatic bridge between global and regional powers came into sharp focus during an in-depth MNTV interview, in which a senior retired military official warned that recent tensions between the United States and Iran had pushed the world dangerously close to a wider war.
Speaking to MNTV, former Pakistani general and ambassador Tariq Rashid Khan framed the current moment as both historic and precarious, describing Pakistan’s mediation as a decisive factor in pulling the region back from the edge.
The interview opened with the question about the unusual convergence of global attention on Islamabad, where top-level delegations from Washington and Tehran had gathered despite long-standing efforts by regional rivals to diplomatically isolate Pakistan. Khan dismissed the notion of isolation outright, portraying the developments as a clear rebuttal to such claims and a turning point — not just for Pakistan, but for the world.
How close did it get?
The conflict, Khan argued, had spiraled far beyond a conventional confrontation. The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz sent shockwaves across global markets, with oil prices affecting populations worldwide regardless of geography.
More alarming still was the rhetoric and military posture adopted during the crisis — with statements from U.S. leadership about unleashing overwhelming destructive force underscoring just how quickly the situation could have escalated beyond traditional warfare.
What began as expectations of a short, contained conflict instead stretched into weeks of sustained hostilities.
When pressed on whether the crisis could have escalated into nuclear territory, Khan’s response was unequivocal: the trajectory of events had brought the world alarmingly close to a third world war — or even a nuclear confrontation. He cited historical precedent, including the use of atomic weapons in the past, as a sobering reminder that such escalation cannot be dismissed lightly when tensions spiral unchecked.
Pakistan’s intervention
Amid this backdrop, Pakistan’s diplomatic intervention was portrayed as a stabilizing force. Engagement with both Tehran and Washington helped temper the pace of escalation, with emphasis placed on persuading all sides to reassess the costs of continued conflict.
Discussions with Iran, in particular, shifted focus toward long-term objectives — economic recovery, sanctions relief, and regional stability — rather than prolonged confrontation.
Khan acknowledged that Iran, despite enduring decades of sanctions, had maintained strategic resilience but also faced the reality that unchecked escalation would only deepen its challenges.
The eventual move toward a ceasefire and negotiations, he argued, was the result of pragmatic recalibration rather than capitulation.
Pakistan’s military leadership was credited with facilitating backchannel communications and building trust between historically hostile actors — engagements that have since reshaped perceptions of Pakistan’s strategic relevance and reinforced its role as a credible peace broker.
Navigating a complex geopolitical landscape
The interview also explored how Pakistan manages to sustain ties with the United States while simultaneously maintaining deep-rooted relationships with China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran — a complex balancing act often viewed as difficult, if not impossible.
Khan argued that this positioning is the product of consistent policy grounded in mutual respect and non-aggression. Pakistan’s approach, he said, rests on engaging all sides without pursuing hidden agendas — a stance that has allowed Islamabad to maintain credibility across competing blocs.
This has become particularly significant in a world shifting toward multipolarity, where no single power dominates entirely, yet traditional hierarchies still influence outcomes.
Clarity of intent, he emphasized, remains central. Sustaining trust with Washington, Beijing, Riyadh, and Tehran simultaneously requires prioritizing stability over opportunism — a principle Islamabad has worked to uphold consistently.
Israel’s role: Destabilising force
Within this broader strategic context, Khan offered sharp criticism of Israel’s actions.
The ongoing military campaign in Lebanon — carried out despite a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire framework — was described as deeply destabilizing and counterproductive to diplomatic efforts.
Continued strikes in densely populated areas, widely reported to have caused significant civilian casualties, were portrayed as undermining any meaningful progress toward peace.
The insistence by Israel and its allies that Lebanon falls outside the scope of the ceasefire, Khan warned, represents a dangerous loophole that risks collapsing the entire agreement.
Such actions not only prolong human suffering but threaten to derail negotiations before they can produce tangible outcomes.
He also pointed to a broader pattern of escalation, with Israel’s military posture seen as contributing to a cycle of violence extending from Gaza to Iran and now Lebanon.
This expansion of conflict zones, coupled with continued Western backing, was described as a major obstacle to stabilizing the Middle East.
Fragile path forward
The interview concluded with a cautious assessment of what lies ahead. While the immediate threat of large-scale conflict may have receded, underlying tensions remain unresolved and the potential for renewed escalation persists.
The continued violence in Lebanon, in particular, risks undoing the diplomatic gains achieved at considerable effort.
As Islamabad hosts high-stakes negotiations, the spotlight remains firmly on whether dialogue can succeed where force has failed — and whether regional actors will ultimately choose to prioritize peace over continued confrontation.
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