Pakistan hosted a landmark peace negotiation between the United States and Iran under the umbrella of “Islamabad Talks” from April 11 to 12, aimed at bringing a resolution between the warring parties. However, the meetings ended without a breakthrough in the first round of the negotiations.
In a brief press conference in the capital of Pakistan, American Vice President JD Vance stated: “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that they were “inches away” from reaching a truce deal from “Islamabad MoUs” before the United States “shifting goalposts”. However, neither country claimed that talks had collapsed, indicating there is still hope that the two countries would hold second round of the meetings as the international community also urges them to continue negotiations. At the time of writing, reports are also emerging that preparations are underway in Islamabad to host the representatives of the US and Iran for the next round of diplomatic discussions.
Meanwhile, US-Israeli combined attacks on Iran have jeopardized peace in West Asia. In retaliation for their attacks, Iran launched missiles and drones at American assets and military bases in the Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain were constantly under Iranian drones and missile fire, endangering the lives of the inhabitants of these countries.
The United States had established its military bases across the Middle East under the guise of providing security to the Gulf nations, but the war against Iran has exposed the US-supplied security umbrella as the Trump regime failed to protect Arab countries from Iran’s retaliatory strikes. Instead, Trump’s sole focus was on protecting the interests of Israel and its security.
It is no wonder that Israel’s security is as important as America’s for the regime in the White House. Historically, in 2003, the Bush government launched a brutal war against Saddam Hussain’s government in Iraq, accusing him of being involved in the 9/11 incident and pursuing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) but later it was proven that Saddam neither had any connection to 9/11 nor possessed WMD; instead the real purpose behind the invasion was Israel’s security.
Tel Aviv viewed the Saddam-led government as a threat to its security and encouraged the Bush regime to keep American boots in Iraq. Professor John J. Mearsheimer and Professor Stephan M. Walt wrote in their seminal work The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, Israeli leaders encouraged the Bush dispensation to stay in Iraq because they “believed that US withdrawal would jeopardize Israel’s security.”
Under the name of Israel’s security, Tel Aviv is rigorously pursuing a vicious plan which it calls “Greater Israel”. Based on theological beliefs, they claim many parts of Arab lands were given to them by God and they are entitled to grab them back. US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stated in February that “it would be fine if they (Israel) took it all (Arab lands).” In this regard, the genocidal war in Gaza, the slaughter of civilians in Lebanon and the war against Iran are part of the evil scheme.
Meanwhile, when the US and Iran were negotiating in Pakistan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in a television address, displaying maps of Iran, Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Yemen in red, signaling bloodshed and instability in these countries. Peace in the Middle East will remain elusive despite a possible final agreement to end the war between the US and Iran.
Moreover, any stable and strong country in the Middle East is not acceptable to Israel. It will go to any extent to weaken these countries. For instance, Tel Aviv and Washington attempted to bring regime change in Iran by decapitating top Iranian leadership in order to install a pro-Israel regime in Tehran as Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deceased Shah Pahlavi, is ready to serve them, but they failed in this campaign and instead, masses in the streets stood behind the incumbent government. The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proved to be a strategic blunder by the US and Israel, as it has unified the Iranian people.
The US and Israel would again attempt to bring down the current government in Tehran. American political columnist John Feehery suggested to Donald Trump through an opinion in Al Jazeera that one of the ways by which Trump can win the ceasefire and finish the war by exerting “domestic pressure” on the current government in Iran, and that “our intelligence community needs to do everything it can to strengthen the Iranian protest movement, arming them with weapons and resources.”
Additionally, Israel may not halt its expansionist agenda in the West Asia. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Israel’s next target could be Turkey. In an interview with the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu, he said that “After Iran, Israel cannot live without hostility,” indicating that his country could be the new Iran. The Israelis have shown part of Turkey in their “Greater Israel” project and they may go after it.
The coming years are going to be more crucial and violent in the Middle East and beyond. Pakistan needs to be prudent and prepared as Israel perceives Islamabad as an ideological enemy. Israel’s ambassador to India has expressed annoyance over Pakistan, calling it a “rogue state”. The India-Israel bonhomie can have severe implications for Pakistan.
The international community has also the onus to rein in Israel from its vicious expansionist ambitions; meanwhile, the Muslim countries must act with unity and prudence to prevent further escalation and ensure long-term stability and peace. Without collective pragmatic efforts and regional security cooperation, tensions may continue to intensify, and more countries may face situations similar to Iran in succession. Therefore, coordinated regional responses remain essential to safeguarding in the Middle East.