U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Tuesday that he does not trust Pakistan to serve as a mediator in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran [1, 2].
This shift in rhetoric highlights growing tensions over the neutrality of Islamabad, which has historically attempted to balance relations between Washington and Tehran. If the U.S. decides that Pakistan is no longer a viable peacemaker, it may fundamentally alter the diplomatic channels used to prevent escalation in the Middle East.
Graham based his comments on reports indicating that Iranian military aircraft were allowed to use Pakistani airbases [1, 4]. He said this cooperation undermines the credibility of Pakistan as a neutral party capable of facilitating fair discussions between the two nations [3, 4].
"I don't trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them," Graham said [4].
The senator suggested that the U.S. should begin searching for a new peacemaker to handle the complex diplomatic bridge to Iran [3]. He said he lacks confidence in the Pakistani government's transparency regarding its military arrangements with Tehran [5, 6].
"I don't trust Pakistan," Graham said [5, 6].
The comments come amid a broader debate in Washington regarding the strategic reliability of South Asian partners. By publicly questioning the integrity of the Pakistani state, Graham signals a potential pivot in how Republican leadership views the utility of Islamabad in regional security frameworks [2, 3].
“"I don't trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them."”
The public skepticism from a high-ranking U.S. senator suggests a deteriorating level of strategic trust between Washington and Islamabad. By linking military logistics, specifically the use of airbases by Iran, to diplomatic reliability, the U.S. is signaling that tactical cooperation with Tehran may disqualify Pakistan from serving as a neutral intermediary in high-stakes geopolitical negotiations.
