Failure of ongoing mediation efforts can plunge ME into instability, economic turmoil: Masood Khan
Islamabad: Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan has said that Pakistan is playing a leading diplomatic role to prevent a devastating regional conflict between the United States and Iran.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sardar Masood Khan speaking during a television interview on the rapidly evolving Iran-US crisis warned that failure of ongoing mediation efforts could plunge the Middle East into prolonged instability and economic turmoil.
He described the current environment as “extremely fluid,” noting that contradictory statements from various capitals have complicated diplomatic efforts despite reports suggesting that a memorandum aimed at ending the conflict may already be under discussion.
Masood Khan stated countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, are actively engaged in mediation efforts, adding that Pakistan has assumed a central role in facilitating communication between Tehran and Washington. He noted that Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach and shuttle diplomacy continue at an intense pace, with senior Pakistani leadership remaining deeply involved in efforts to secure de-escalation and dialogue.
Highlighting the complexity of the negotiations, he said one of the most difficult hurdles remains the future status of the Strait of Hormuz. He observed that Iran has adopted a firm position regarding control and security arrangements in the strategically vital waterway, further complicating efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
He further stated that inflammatory rhetoric from both sides, particularly aggressive statements emerging from Washington and Tehran, continues to undermine trust and intensify tensions. Such language creates political pressure on leadership in both countries and increases the risk of miscalculation, he added.
Discussing the nuclear dimension of the crisis, Sardar Masood explained that Iran maintains its position that uranium enrichment for civilian purposes is its legitimate right under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
He recalled that the 2015 nuclear agreement provided an important framework for diplomacy and suggested that future negotiations may build upon that arrangement with additional guarantees and safeguards acceptable to both sides. He said that meaningful progress would require reciprocal concessions, including relief from economic sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Commenting on the broader regional situation, Masood Khan strongly criticised Israeli actions in the Middle East, stating that the continued destruction in Gaza Strip and military operations in neighboring territories have severely undermined regional peace and stability.
