Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has once again questioned Pakistan’s role as a possible mediator between the US and Iran, saying Islamabad’s strong anti-Israel
position makes it “more than problematic”. His remarks came after Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for Pakistan to join the Abraham Accords. In a post on X, Graham accused Pakistan of allowing Iranian military aircraft to stay at its air bases and said statements made by Pakistani leaders against Israel were “disturbing”. Also Read - Pakistan Gives Cold Shoulder to Trump's Abraham Accords Push: 'Not Acceptable to Us' “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. It is undeniable that Iranian military aircraft are being housed on Pakistani air bases, and past rhetoric from the highest Pakistani officials against Israel is disturbing,” Graham said. Referring to Asif’s recent remarks, Graham also demanded clarity from Pakistan on whether it plans to join the Abraham Accords. “As to the defense minister's comments about the Abraham Accords, saying that Pakistan would never join because they don't trust Israel: The clip may be a year old, but I fear the sentiment is fresh. In that regard, it is imperative that Pakistan give an answer now to President Trump's call to join the Abraham Accords,” he added. Speaking to Pakistani broadcaster Samaa TV, Khawaja Asif said Pakistan should not become part of any agreement that goes against its ideology. “Personally, I don't think we should join any such accord that clashes with our fundamental ideologies,” Asif said during the interview. Questioning Israel’s credibility, the Pakistani minister added, “How will you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day?” He also repeated Pakistan’s long-standing stand on Israel. “We have a very clear stance that this is not acceptable to us,” Asif said. Highlighting Pakistan’s refusal to recognise Israel, he added, “And secondly, on our passports, we are the only country whose passports don't even include Israel's name.” The controversy comes after Trump urged several Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords as part of a wider regional peace plan linked to ongoing talks with Iran. In a long post on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations with Iran were “proceeding nicely” and called the possible deal a “Historic Event” for the Middle East. He urged countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to join the Abraham Accords. “Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or no Deal at all,” Trump wrote. He also warned that failure to reach an agreement could mean “Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before.” The Abraham Accords are US-brokered agreements signed in 2020 that normalised ties between Israel and several Arab countries.
