Retired Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox News senior strategic analyst and former Army vice chief of staff, has publicly questioned the reliability of Pakistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia as mediators in negotiations with Iran. During a Monday appearance on Fox News’ "America’s Newsroom," Keane accused Pakistan and Qatar of being "compromised" mediators who favor Iran over the United States, potentially steering President Donald Trump away from applying military pressure on Tehran.

"It is well known in the Middle East region, by our intelligence services, by all the players, that the Pakistanis and the Qataris are compromised because they favor Iran at the expense of the United States," Keane said.

Keane also sharply criticized Saudi Arabia, stating that Riyadh denied the United States access to Saudi airspace and a U.S. air base during preparations for a possible operation to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite these criticisms, President Trump has expressed respect for Pakistan, praising its officials for their efforts to advance negotiations with Iran. Trump said in an April 26 phone interview with Fox News that he had "great respect for Pakistan" because its officials had "been terrific" and "really tried" to advance negotiations. He also credited Pakistan and Qatar on June 18 for helping advance the talks that led to the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding.

A joint statement on June 22 from the United States and Iran confirmed that Pakistan and Qatar were mediating talks under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former National Security Council official, noted that Washington continues to rely on Saudi infrastructure despite ongoing disagreements over military strategy.

Keane emphasized that if Iran does not agree to a good deal with the United States, the fault will lie with the Iranian regime, which will face the consequences. He also suggested that the influence of Pakistan and Qatar may have misled the United States about Iran’s true intentions.

"Successful mediators are often those that enjoy channels of communication with all sides," Keane remarked, underscoring the complexity of the diplomatic environment.

Sources