"We Don't Trust Pak": Israel Envoy Says US Also Sees Country Only As Middleman

Ahead of the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Israel's ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, expressed deep scepticism toward Pakistan, stating that Israel does not trust the country and suggesting that the United States shares this view, merely treating Pakistan's role in the process as logistical facilitation.

Speaking to NDTV, Azar said, "We don't trust the Pakistanis. And I think that, you know, don't get over-enthusiastic to the degree that the Americans trust them. It's a facilitation role, not more than that."

Regarding Pakistan's role in mediating the talks between the US and Iran, he said that Israel's "hopes" are with the United States and that they "believe the Americans" will utilise the two weeks in a way that can bring stability in the region.

Responding to Pakistan's condemnation regarding Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Azar said that Tel Aviv will continue to do what it needs for the country's defence.

In a previous interview with NDTV, Azar said that Israel would not be comfortable with the Pakistani army serving as the international stabilisation force in Gaza and expressed deep concern over growing links between Hamas and Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Pakistan will host high-stakes face-to-face negotiations between the United States and Iran on Friday, as both sides seek to shore up a fragile ceasefire and stave off further escalation across the Middle East. 

Washington and Tehran reached a conditional two-week truce on Wednesday, paving the way for direct talks in Islamabad aimed at bridging their differences and charting a path toward durable peace.

Pak's 'Peacemaker' Role In Iran War

Meanwhile, a report by the Financial Times indicates that while Pakistan tried to project itself as a peacemaker, the White House actually pressured Islamabad to broker a temporary ceasefire with Iran.

The report poses serious questions about Pakistan's independent diplomatic stance, suggesting Islamabad was not a neutral broker but rather a convenient channel for the US to push the temporary ceasefire deal, even as US President Donald Trump escalated threats against the Islamic Republic and claimed Tehran was "begging" for a truce.

Citing people familiar with the development, the report claimed that for weeks the Trump administration was leaning on Islamabad to convince the Iranians to agree to a pause in fighting, where it would reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.

"Pakistan's crucial role, as a Muslim-majority neighbour and intermediary, was to sell it to Tehran," the report said.

Situation In Iran

This development comes after Iran on Wednesday blamed Israel for jeopardising the fragile ceasefire in the region between the US and Iran and halting the hostilities for two weeks. It warned that continued attacks on Lebanon by Israeli forces could lead to the collapse of the agreement and renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have also stated that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire.