ListNook

66 Comments

FrameAvailable9260 Mar 29, 2026 +128

Pakistan is stuck, Saudi alliance on one side, and Iran on the other, with large Shia population at home. If they lean too hard either way, the fallout could hit inside their own borders.

128

Altair82 Mar 29, 2026 +80

all the reason to mediate

dospc Mar 29, 2026 +67

On the contrary, this is why they're a good mediator - you need to be genuinely credible to both sides.

thebat85 Mar 29, 2026 +7

There are 3 sides. I’m not quite sure how this works if you don’t recognize Israel as the third party. It’s good for Pakistan’s profile and somewhat clean up their image as a terror sponsors- but this won’t mean anything unless the all parties are engaged and willing

CriticalandPragmatic Mar 29, 2026 +16

Israel is slowly realizing the position they are in, and Pakistan really doesn't need to include them

FatTater420 Mar 30, 2026 +3

They never were, the mediation was between the US, Iran and KSA at most, Israel is barely being counted on the table if only because they don't seem too eager to go there yet. According to them this is an existential fight that can only end once there is no more of a united Iran to challenge them.

Liquid_Trimix Mar 29, 2026 +4

This whole thing could spill out of control and rupture into a massive wave of fighters emerging from the mountains. 40 years of analysis and expertise ignored. This conflict could sweep away many gulf states. It's a catastrophe for peace.

Working-Section-7493 Mar 30, 2026 -3

Pakistani here, the Shia population problem you proposed was already solved by the military because they knew they couldnt have an angry minority group under a single leadership so in typical fashion rounded up the leaders in the midst of them gaining power and you know the rest goes how autocrats react to minorities gaining power.

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lamebarracuda Mar 29, 2026 +35

This is confusing to me. Could someone explain why Pakistan is holding peace talks with Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi when the war is between Iran, US and Israel ? Is it just for show ?

Jim-be Mar 29, 2026 +60

They are regional powers. Pakistan has nukes. Egypt has the Suez. Turkey has the largest most modern military in the region. Saudi has money and oil and gas and runs the GCC. They may be discussing throwing the Americans under the bus. Agree to paying a toll, removal of military bases, and closing air space to Israel. In return the oil flows and no more attacks. If they were to do this the petrol dollar may cease to exist. This would be devastating to American economy. Thus why we may be forced into a full war with Iran to try to save the petrol dollar.

BlueAndYellowTowels Mar 30, 2026 +3

Yup. [Especially with Iran asking for the toll to be paid in Yuan](https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/iran-running-a-toll-booth-regime-in-strait-of-hormuz-getting-paid-in-yuan-experts-say/).

Arno_Dorian_11 Mar 29, 2026 +10

Egypt, Turkey and Saudi will be involved as mediators. They are discussing steps towards introducing Islamabad as a venue for US and Iranian envoys to begin dialogue.

ganymede_boy Mar 29, 2026 +261

Amazing that we live in a time when Pakistan has to play the role of "grownup in the room" to get negotiations going.

261

Omarkhayyamsnotes Mar 29, 2026 +109

That's what happens when there's no grown ups anywhere near the white House

109

Equivalent_Range6291 Mar 29, 2026 +29

Donalds still throwing a Tantrum in the playroom, Melania\`s trying to keep him calm with Pizza & Calpol ..

Dicky_Penisburg Mar 29, 2026 +18

Melania doesn't give enough of a f*** about him to do that.

Equivalent_Range6291 Mar 29, 2026 +4

Well thats her cut out of the Will shes banking on him dying in office! ..

Andrewabid Mar 29, 2026 +3

And when the whitehouse makes all the other grown up countries rage quit (ie oman)

Perfect_Earth_8070 Mar 29, 2026 +9

Right. Iran has all the leverage here. The art of the deal strikes again

GarryofRiverton Mar 29, 2026 -13

Do they? Last time I checked the US/Israel still have full air superiority and Iran's top dickheads are still dropping like flys.

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Trail_Dog Mar 30, 2026 +2

Ah yes.. this is why Trump has been so effective at keeping the Straits of Hormuz open and oil prices down. Air superiority and assassinations. It's a good thing too because God forbid Iran create a global oil shortage to use as leverage. If they did that, we might have to send ground troops in with our NATO allies like we did in Iraq to hang up another mission accomplished banner. The art of the deal wins again. Thank you daddy Trump.

supercali45 Mar 29, 2026 -1

https://youtu.be/hcDxGveoplc https://youtu.be/9XziXtig9jE https://youtu.be/DepJ5PkKBSs Watch these and see how you feel again

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22stanmanplanjam11 Mar 29, 2026 +2

The high school English teacher who doesn’t know there’s tension between Sunnis and Shias isn’t a good source. His whole unity of the Muslim world Pax Islamica prediction could not have been more wrong.

GarryofRiverton Mar 29, 2026 -7

Ah yes, a pack of schizophrenics who've deluded themselves into thinking that Iran has any kind of fighting chance outside of holding up in a bunker, having a pint, and hoping for this to all blow over. Do you know what air superiority means?

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3rd-party-intervener Mar 29, 2026 +12

They need oil to come thru.

xx-shalo-xx Mar 29, 2026 +25

The world needs oil to come through. South east Asia is struggling now and rationing like crazy. Yeah the fuel here in Europe and the US has gone up but it's the vulnerable economies that are getting hit first and hard. Our time is coming.

xande2545 Mar 29, 2026 +8

Pakistan had a big role in the Chinese american reapproachment under nixon

lollythepop7 Mar 29, 2026 +2

Pakistan has always been the adult in their neighborhood lol, especially to Iran and Afghanistan

Accomplished_Time_35 Mar 30, 2026 -4

No it hasnt. Adults dont keep Osama hiding in their country lol.

-4

Ytrewq9000 Mar 29, 2026

Pakistan wants $$ from the U.S. There no way they are doing without an ulterior motive.

Hour-Passenger-8513 Mar 29, 2026 +49

Let's be realistic. Every country's government is looking out for it's own interests.

Equivalent_Range6291 Mar 29, 2026 +5

Well we\`re gonna be waiting a long time before the UN do anything other than wag a finger at Genocidal Israel, "naughty naughty Israel play fair.."

Equivalent_Range6291 Mar 29, 2026 +1

This is ALL about Israel.

palmerama Mar 29, 2026 +41

The goal of the war is now to achieve the previous status quo of the straits being open. Way to go Trump. And he’ll claim it as a victory, and probably ask for some kind of payback from allies.

naijaboiler Mar 29, 2026 -1

we are ~~not~~ going to have to a agree to a worse deal that we had before we bombed them editted to correct what I meant

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Slggyqo Mar 29, 2026 +6

It’s kind of up to the countires that are peripherally involved (like the regional powers that met in Pakistan) whether or not we can get a better deal. To get a better deal we need to win the war or at least sustain it long enough to force Iran to accept a bad position. That cannot happen unless other countries in the region agree to support or at least remain neutral towards ongoing American action in the gulf. Iran is 6,000 miles from America, we can’t fight this war without staging areas in the Middle East. That means they need to accept, at the very least, a big economic hit, and they’re not going to do that for free. That means diplomacy, and this administration’s diplomatic track record is questionable.

naijaboiler Mar 29, 2026 +2

i gurantee we will not get a better deal. i guarantee that! There is just no path to that.

chiefmackdaddypuff Mar 29, 2026 +49

Gotta say, Pakistan has navigated this war phenomenally well. Playing the role of mediator and not risking alliances is top tier diplomacy.

FatTater420 Mar 30, 2026 +2

Especially considering they seem to have very little room for error in showing too much favor to any party risks ticking off at least 2 others.

Icy_Spinach_4828 Mar 29, 2026 +19

So pakistan negotiates deal between Iran, USA and Israel in absence of Iran, USA and Israel?

Altair82 Mar 29, 2026 +25

they learned that trick from the US

Icy_Spinach_4828 Mar 29, 2026 +1

I’ll negotiate a deal tonight after dinner.

AnyProgressIsGood Mar 29, 2026 +3

I mean if they all agree to stop capitulating to US/Israel. Goodness The US is fuuuucked

kolkitten Mar 29, 2026 +7

They would just kill the Iranian negotiators. Why should they be allowed at the table?

Slggyqo Mar 29, 2026 +2

They’re negotiating a regional response to the war. Right now this war hurts them, and there’s no obvious upside, at least not one that won’t cause a lot more pain before it materializes. American will struggle to win a war in the middle east without the support of these nations. At the very least it needs to be tacit support, but ideally it’s active. Pakistan is also acting as the middleman between the USA and Iran, so they’re just heavily involved in negotiations generally.

lamebarracuda Mar 29, 2026 -1

That’s what I’m wondering. Like what is this supposed to achieve ? Pakistan doesn’t have any sort of leverage over any of the warring countries. Someone said Pakistan is simply following US orders which partly could be true given their prime minister’s admiration for Trump.

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