In the volatile theatre of West Asian geopolitics, the script has taken an improbable turn. For decades, the corridors of power in Washington and Tehran were paved with mutual suspicion, separated by a chasm that no amount of traditional diplomacy could bridge. Yet, as the 2026 Iran-US conflict reaches a fever pitch, the most consequential diplomatic bridge is being built not in Geneva or Doha, but in Islamabad, where negotiations begin on Friday.

The emergence of Pakistan as the indispensable broker in this crisis is a development that demands a mature and sophisticated response from New Delhi. While the historical reflex of our establishment might be one of disparagement, strategic anxiety, or both, the sheer scale of the current conflagration, US President Donald Trump’s threat of a “civilisation-ending” cataclysm, and the malign effects on the region all necessitate a more statesmanlike posture. True, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s social-media gaffe in posting a message apparently drafted in Washington suggests that the US may merely be using Pakistan to give the ceasefire a neutral, third-party face, allowing both the US and Iran to de-escalate without appearing to back down directly to one another. But even if Pakistan is a diplomatic fig leaf rather than the real initiator, India must now navigate this development with a combination of strategic restraint, regional responsibility, and a renewed commitment to its role as the voice of the Global South.

To understand why Pakistan has suddenly become the pivot point for the Trump administration and the Iranian leadership, one must look at the unique “connectivity matrix” it has cultivated. The relationship between Field Marshal Asim Munir and President Donald Trump is no longer a matter of back-channel rumour; it is........

© Indian Express