Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has publicly questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a mediator in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran.
In a recent interview with ANI, Azar stated that Israel does not consider Islamabad a credible player in the diplomatic process. He suggested that while Washington has chosen to facilitate talks through Pakistan for its own specific reasons, Israel remains sceptical of the choice.
The ambassador drew comparisons to previous American diplomatic efforts involving states he described as problematic, such as Qatar and Turkey, which have been used to broker deals with groups like Hamas.
Despite these reservations, Azar emphasised that it remains critically important for Israel to stay in total sync with the United States regarding the substance and desired outcome of any final agreement.
These remarks surface as a fragile two-week ceasefire takes hold, with US Vice President JD Vance scheduled to lead a high-level delegation to Pakistan later this week.
These mediated talks are intended to secure a more permanent, long-term agreement between Washington and Tehran. Israel’s primary objectives for these negotiations are the complete removal of what it deems existential threats: Iran’s nuclear programme and its production of ballistic missiles.
Reflecting on the recent hostilities, Azar claimed that Israel’s military actions were designed to give the Iranian people an opportunity to define their own future by debilitating the current regime. He asserted that Israel had successfully achieved this goal.
With military operations currently exhausted, the ambassador noted that the focus is shifting toward diplomacy, though he warned that force remains a viable option should the Iranian regime leave them no other choice.
The ceasefire is already facing significant pressure from regional developments. Iran has accused Israel of putting the truce at risk, warning that continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon could collapse the agreement and reignite tensions in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Despite these warnings, both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have insisted that Lebanon is not included within the scope of the current ceasefire terms.
The situation on the ground remains volatile, as Israel conducted some of its most intense strikes on Lebanon this past Wednesday. These operations reportedly resulted in hundreds of casualties and triggered threats of retaliation from Tehran.
Addressing the friction, Vice President Vance suggested that the Iranians may have mistakenly assumed Lebanon was covered by the truce, adding that a degree of “choppiness” is to be expected in any ceasefire.
A major point of contention continues to be the future of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. President Trump has asserted that Iran agreed to halt all uranium enrichment and surrender its existing stockpiles. He stated that the United States intends to work with Iran to physically remove all deeply buried nuclear material.
However, this narrative is being challenged in Tehran. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf argued that Israel has already violated the ceasefire by targeting Hezbollah.
He also accused the United States of breaching the agreement by demanding that Iran abandon its nuclear ambitions entirely. Qalibaf concluded that under such conditions, bilateral negotiations were unreasonable, maintaining that Iran would continue to enrich uranium under its own interpretation of the ceasefire terms.
(With Reuters, AP Inputs)
