Pakistan’s rise as an increasingly important diplomatic actor during the Iran–US crisis has created a rare strategic opening that Islamabad must not ignore. For the first time in decades, Pakistan is no longer being viewed merely through the lens of South Asian security competition. It is now increasingly seen as a useful intermediary capable of talking simultaneously to Washington, Beijing, Riyadh, Tehran, Ankara and Moscow.

This transformation has not emerged overnight. Pakistan’s role during the recent Iran–US confrontation, particularly its balanced diplomacy and active engagement with multiple stakeholders, has significantly enhanced Islamabad’s international standing. Unlike many regional actors trapped in ideological positioning, Pakistan maintained communication channels with all major powers while consistently supporting de-escalation and regional stability.

One important but less visible dimension of this diplomacy has involved Russia. Moscow may not have been publicly foregrounded during the crisis. Still, Russian interests broadly aligned with those of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, and even the Trump administration on one core issue: preventing a wider regional war that could destabilise the Gulf and threaten global energy routes.

For Russia, long-term instability in West Asia does not serve strategic interests. Moscow understands that prolonged conflict involving Iran, Israel and the Gulf directly threatens broader Eurasian stability. While Russia strongly opposed attacks violating Iranian sovereignty, Russian policymakers also appeared conscious of the political pressures surrounding President Donald Trump, particularly the influence of the powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington.

At the same time, Russia’s current perception of Trump differs significantly from dominant European narratives. In Moscow today, Trump is not primarily viewed as a reckless warmonger but rather as a transactional leader attempting to reduce global military entanglements and review costly American commitments abroad, especially in Ukraine. Russian appreciation for Trump’s role in enforcing a temporary ceasefire around Victory Day further reinforced this perception.

This is precisely why Trump’s recent understanding with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons carries wider geopolitical significance. The agreement reflects a broader convergence among major powers that regional instability in the Gulf cannot continue indefinitely.

Both Iran and Israel increasingly risk becoming liabilities for larger powers whenever regional conflict spirals beyond manageable limits

Both Iran and Israel increasingly risk becoming liabilities for larger powers whenever regional conflict spirals beyond manageable limits

Contrary to narratives deliberately promoted by certain Iranophile circles in Pakistan, the Iran crisis is not producing a rigid Cold War-style division between China and Russia on one side and the United States on the other. In reality, both Beijing and Moscow today view relations with a Trump-led America very differently from the previous phase of confrontation with Washington.

China’s foremost concern remains uninterrupted energy flows through the Gulf. Russia, despite being a major energy exporter itself, shares Chinese concerns regarding Hormuz because Beijing would suffer most from prolonged maritime disruption. Neither Moscow nor Beijing benefits from endless escalation driven by ideological or proxy-based regional rivalries.

This is where Pakistan’s diplomacy has acquired unusual importance. Islamabad has emerged as perhaps the only actor capable of maintaining credible........

© The Friday Times