It took Pakistani mediators months of relentless negotiations, travelling, passing messages, and even enduring blowback from the UAE—one of its oldest and most trusted allies in the region—to carve out an agreement that was acceptable to both the United States and Iran. Pakistan remained constantly engaged with the two parties, even when missiles were being fired at each other. People said Pakistan would be forced into a war with Iran because of its mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia. Pakistan instead used that leverage to lower tensions between the Saudis and Iranians at a time when the IRGC was literally targeting Saudi oil facilities.

Some suggested that Pakistan might let the US use its soil for a ground invasion of Iran. Pakistan’s response was a flat refusal. Two of Pakistan’s closest allies in the region—Turkey and Azerbaijan—were attacked by Iran. Pakistan advised patience and diplomacy. Not taking any credit away from them, Turkey and Azerbaijan understood their interests better than anyone else in the region. These are actually the only two countries, other than Pakistan, that have fought and are capable of fighting wars. They understand geopolitics better than many of Pakistan’s other allies in the region.

It must also be acknowledged that diplomacy of this magnitude is rarely the work of a single country. Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia all played constructive roles in preventing the crisis from spiralling further out of control. Qatar, in particular, remained unwavering in its support for the Pakistan-led mediation effort and consistently backed every serious attempt to keep channels of communication open. Saudi Arabia deserves appreciation for the patience and restraint it demonstrated........

© The Friday Times