Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane said Monday that Pakistan and Qatar are “compromised” as mediators in Iran talks. On ’ America’s Newsroom, he questioned whether Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia can be trusted to help shape the negotiations.
Keane said, “It is well known in the Middle East region, by our intelligence services, by all the players, that the Pakistanis and the Qataris are compromised because they favor Iran at the expense of the United States.” He added, “This is historical. This is not new.”
Trump and the White House
Donald Trump took the opposite view. On April 26, he said he had “great respect for Pakistan” because its officials had “been terrific” and “really tried” to advance negotiations with Iran, and he said Pakistan would remain involved in the process. On June 18, after the G7 summit in France, Trump credited Pakistan and Qatar with helping advance the negotiations that produced the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding.
Anna Kelly said President Trump has great relationships with leaders from Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and that he appreciates the involvement of regional partners who are assisting with negotiations. Kelly also said, “If Iran cannot agree to a good deal with the United States, the fault will lie squarely with the regime, who will suffer the consequences,” a line that places responsibility for any breakdown on Iran rather than on the intermediaries.
Pakistan and Qatar in the talks
Keane said the mediators’ influence had played a part in misleading the United States about Iran’s real intentions. That claim pushes directly against Trump’s public praise and the White House’s defense of regional partners, leaving two very different readings of the same negotiating channel in view.
The practical issue for the United States and Israel is not the rhetoric but the structure of the talks: Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are being treated as intermediaries, and Keane argued that structure itself can tilt what reaches U.S. officials. Wednesday reports indicated that mediators were preparing a second memorandum focused exclusively on the Strait of Hormuz, which suggests the talks are moving into a narrower phase tied to a specific shipping route.
Jack Keane’s warning now sits beside Trump’s endorsement of Pakistan and Qatar. The unresolved point is how much weight Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will keep in the Iran talks as negotiators move toward the Strait of Hormuz memorandum.
