New Delhi — Former Deputy National Security Advisor Arvind Gupta sharply questioned Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the United States and Iran, saying Islamabad cannot be viewed as an “innocent” intermediary and suggesting Tehran may simply have had few alternatives.
Speaking to ANI, Gupta expressed surprise that Iran placed so much trust in Pakistan. “I still feel very surprised that Iran has put so much trust in Pakistan because Pakistan is not an innocent mediator. But still, probably there was no other option,” he said.
Pakistan has spent much of 2026 trying to boost its diplomatic profile by positioning itself as a principal intermediary in the US–Iran confrontation. Islamabad has led several mediation efforts aiming to secure a permanent ceasefire and restart commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway whose closure would hit the global economy.
Gupta acknowledged that reopening the Strait would be beneficial for the world, even if those negotiating it claim credit: “If the Strait of Hormuz opens as a result of these talks and somebody takes credit for it, so be it. It’s good for us. It’s good for everyone.”
High-profile diplomacy in mid-April culminated in a 21-hour session in Islamabad, attended by senior figures including US Vice President J.D. Vance and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alongside Army Chief General Asim Munir. But despite the optics, the talks did not produce a final settlement. Instead, they effectively institutionalised a fragile truce, leaving further progress dependent on a 15-point US proposal and a 10-point Iranian response.
Beyond the immediate regional dynamics, Gupta placed the crisis in a wider geopolitical context. He argued the post–World War II international order is fraying, with the UN Security Council increasingly sidelined as P5 members violate their own rules. “The rule-based order started fraying soon after the Second World War, and now it has reached this stage,” he said, calling the Security Council “dysfunctional.”
Predicting the end of traditional collective-security models, Gupta said future partnerships will be “more task-oriented, more mission-oriented, more flexible, and perhaps a little diffused.” He warned that geopolitics is now driving geoeconomics, marking the close of an era of globalisation and requiring fresh diplomatic approaches and updated military doctrines.
On the economic impact, Gupta likened current volatility to the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting global GDP growth could be trimmed by roughly 0.5–1 percentage point.
For India, his prescription was clear: rely less on old alliances and more on national deterrence and resilience. “The era of heightened geopolitical tensions has arrived, and deterrence and resilience are the two issues that we should really be working on,” he said, advising New Delhi to intensify engagement with the non-Western world while preparing for a more unstable international environment.
(This article is based on a syndicated feed and was published as received.)
