As the US-Iran war raises fears of wider global conflict, Pakistan shocked the international community by emerging as an effective peace broker. The recent US-Iran war shows that in international politics, power is no longer determined solely by military strength and economic hegemony.
Rather, it also depends on the ability of a country’s diplomacy to bridge geopolitical gaps and avert crises. Far from being just a diplomatic success, this episode shows that Pakistan is carving out its role in the multipolar world. It has evolved Islamabad from a regional security actor to a credible middle-power mediator.
The war exposes the weakness and limitations of U.S diplomacy as a global hegemon. Tehran and Washington were unable to initiate an effective diplomatic call in the 5 months of continuous war.
Initially, Pakistan was able to broker a 40-day effective ceasefire, which is a significant achievement of Pakistan in reducing war effects on the global economy due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Unlike powerful global actors with specific alliances, Pakistan has maintained balanced relations with both great powers, the US and China.
Pakistan also maintained deep security and cultural relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. This multi-alignment allows Pakistan to bridge the narrative differences between the US and Iran at times when mutual mistrust has failed traditional diplomatic efforts. In a multipolar world, the ability to engage adversaries simultaneously and facilitate dialogue where others cannot becomes a strategic asset for Pakistan.
The growing power struggle among great powers and hard foreign policies has reduced the effectiveness of diplomacy. Consequently, middle powers pursue their own national interests, which rely on balanced relations with multiple global actors.
Qatar, Oman, Türkiye and Pakistan demonstrate how flexible diplomacy can generate strategic influence despite being militarily and economically weaker. This influence depends on mutual trust rather than coercion.
Diplomatic recognition alone cannot secure Pakistan’s lasting impact in a changing international arena. To sustain this role, Pakistan should pursue an independent foreign policy, which is a policy of non-alignment that allows Pakistan to pursue its own interests irrespective of its alliance perception. The great-power rivalry between China and the USA may hinder this international recognition, as China is a strategic partner of Pakistan.
This episode allows Pakistan to project its influence without engaging in military confrontation. Its influence will endure only if Pakistan sustains balanced relations with key Middle Eastern countries, the USA, and China.
By adopting a preventive diplomatic approach and maintaining relations, Pakistan can convert this one-time achievement into a broader foreign policy advantage.
For example, Vietnam fought a war with the USA, but it shifted its foreign policy into a pragmatic approach. Now Vietnam is a global hub of China’s manufacturing industries, and amid regional tensions, the U.S. acts as a key partner for Vietnam, supporting maritime security and domain awareness in the South China Sea (East Sea) with Coast Guard vessels and equipment.
While the Iran-US crisis might prove to be remembered for many reasons other than the conflict that occurred during it, one of them would definitely be the successful diplomatic rise of Pakistan that occurred due to the same reason.
The role of Pakistan in de-escalating the crisis is a prime example of how effective and strategically sound diplomacy can be just as powerful as military force when it comes to influencing outcomes in the volatile region.
With the international environment shifting towards multipolarity, countries capable of engaging across geopolitical divides to carry out diplomacy will become even more strategically significant. This is an opportunity for Pakistan to establish itself as an actor that has balanced diplomatic relations with allies, strategic partners, and other global powers.
Pakistan’s Diplomatic Rise and Emergence As New Global Mediator
As the US-Iran war raises fears of wider global conflict, Pakistan shocked the international community by emerging as an effective peace broker. The recent US-Iran war shows that in international politics, power is no longer determined solely by military strength and economic hegemony.
Rather, it also depends on the ability of a country’s diplomacy to bridge geopolitical gaps and avert crises. Far from being just a diplomatic success, this episode shows that Pakistan is carving out its role in the multipolar world. It has evolved Islamabad from a regional security actor to a credible middle-power mediator.
The war exposes the weakness and limitations of U.S diplomacy as a global hegemon. Tehran and Washington were unable to initiate an effective diplomatic call in the 5 months of continuous war.
Initially, Pakistan was able to broker a 40-day effective ceasefire, which is a significant achievement of Pakistan in reducing war effects on the global economy due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Unlike powerful global actors with specific alliances, Pakistan has maintained balanced relations with both great powers, the US and China.
Pakistan also maintained deep security and cultural relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. This multi-alignment allows Pakistan to bridge the narrative differences between the US and Iran at times when mutual mistrust has failed traditional diplomatic efforts. In a multipolar world, the ability to engage adversaries simultaneously and facilitate dialogue where others cannot becomes a strategic asset for Pakistan.
The growing power struggle among great powers and hard foreign policies has reduced the effectiveness of diplomacy. Consequently, middle powers pursue their own national interests, which rely on balanced relations with multiple global actors.
Qatar, Oman, Türkiye and Pakistan demonstrate how flexible diplomacy can generate strategic influence despite being militarily and economically weaker. This influence depends on mutual trust rather than coercion.
Diplomatic recognition alone cannot secure Pakistan’s lasting impact in a changing international arena. To sustain this role, Pakistan should pursue an independent foreign policy, which is a policy of non-alignment that allows Pakistan to pursue its own interests irrespective of its alliance perception. The great-power rivalry between China and the USA may hinder this international recognition, as China is a strategic partner of Pakistan.
This episode allows Pakistan to project its influence without engaging in military confrontation. Its influence will endure only if Pakistan sustains balanced relations with key Middle Eastern countries, the USA, and China.
By adopting a preventive diplomatic approach and maintaining relations, Pakistan can convert this one-time achievement into a broader foreign policy advantage.
For example, Vietnam fought a war with the USA, but it shifted its foreign policy into a pragmatic approach. Now Vietnam is a global hub of China’s manufacturing industries, and amid regional tensions, the U.S. acts as a key partner for Vietnam, supporting maritime security and domain awareness in the South China Sea (East Sea) with Coast Guard vessels and equipment.
While the Iran-US crisis might prove to be remembered for many reasons other than the conflict that occurred during it, one of them would definitely be the successful diplomatic rise of Pakistan that occurred due to the same reason.
The role of Pakistan in de-escalating the crisis is a prime example of how effective and strategically sound diplomacy can be just as powerful as military force when it comes to influencing outcomes in the volatile region.
With the international environment shifting towards multipolarity, countries capable of engaging across geopolitical divides to carry out diplomacy will become even more strategically significant. This is an opportunity for Pakistan to establish itself as an actor that has balanced diplomatic relations with allies, strategic partners, and other global powers.
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentaries, a collection of insightful social media threads on current events and social issues, featuring diverse perspectives from various authors.
Recent
Pakistan’s Diplomatic Rise and Emergence As New Global Mediator
As the US-Iran war raises fears of wider global conflict, Pakistan shocked the international community by emerging as an effective peace broker. The recent US-Iran
The Blind Spot in Afghanistan Reporting
International human rights reporting derives its authority from independence, methodological rigor, and a willingness to interrogate all sides of a conflict equally. That credibility weakens
Has Amnesty International Become a Spokesperson for Terrorists?
The moral authority of human rights organisations rests on a fragile tripod: impartiality, accuracy, and consistency. When one leg buckles, the entire structure collapses into
Ansarallah’s Naval Blockade Raises Stakes Across Regional Energy Corridors
The Iran-backed non-state armed group, the Houthis, declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in retaliation for what they called an unjust siege against Yemen.
Pakistan’s Enduring Political Culture
Barrington Moore Jr. (1913 – 2005) in his classic work ‘Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern