On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) criticized Pakistan over its stance on Israel and questioned its suitability as a neutral mediator in Middle East diplomacy.
Graham Questions Pakistan’s Israel Policy
Graham posted on X, sharing commentary from an Open Source Intel account, and argued that Pakistan’s position on Israel raises concerns about its diplomatic neutrality.
“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,” Graham wrote.
He also claimed, without providing direct evidence in the post, that “Iranian military aircraft are being housed on Pakistani air bases” and pointed to past rhetoric from Pakistani officials as “disturbing.”
Graham further referenced remarks attributed to Pakistan’s defense minister rejecting participation in normalization efforts with Israel.
“As to the defense minister’s comments about the Abraham Accords… I fear the sentiment is fresh,” he wrote
He urged Islamabad to respond, saying it is “imperative” that Pakistan answer President Donald Trump’s call for broader participation in the accords.
The post he shared cited Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif as saying joining any agreement involving Israel would conflict with Pakistan’s “fundamental ideologies” and questioning trust in Israel.
It also added that Pakistan does not recognize Israel by name in its passport policy.
Trump Expands Abraham Accords Push
On Monday, President Trump said he asked several countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, to join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader effort to support a potential ceasefire and peace deal involving Iran.
He said he had spoken with regional leaders and urged immediate participation, suggesting Iran could also join if it reached an agreement with the U.S.
Pakistan rejected the proposal, while other countries did not publicly respond.
A Pakistani source said the Iran ceasefire effort and Abraham Accords initiative were unrelated and that Islamabad was not obliged to participate.
Earlier, Trump said he canceled a planned U.S. delegation visit to Islamabad for talks with Iranian officials, citing internal divisions within Iran and saying direct contact should come from Tehran if it wanted negotiations.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Al Teich on Shutterstock.com
Recent Comments