'Not Credible': Israeli Envoy Questions Pakistan’s Role In Iran Ceasefire, Highlights US' 'Own Reasons' For Engaging Islamabad
The Israeli ambassador maintained that Tel Aviv is entitled to defend its northern border against Hezbollah's aggression.
New Delhi: Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has expressed skepticism regarding Pakistan's attempt to act as a mediator in the ceasefire negotiations involving Iran and the US
Azar said that Tel Aviv does not view Islamabad as a "credible player".
The Israeli ambassador remarked that while Washington may have its own motives for utilizing Islamabad's "services", he emphasized that Tel Aviv remains focused to achieve a situation without "Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure" in Southern Lebanon.
"We don't see Pakistan as a credible player. I think that the United States has decided to use the services of the facilitation of Pakistan for their own reasons," Azar said while talking to the news agency ANI.
He compared the Pakistan-led negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to the Trump administration’s strategy of collaborating with "problematic nations" such as Qatar and Turkey to facilitate Gaza ceasefire deals involving Hamas.
"For us, it is very important to stay in sync with the United States when it comes to the substance and the essence of the outcome we want to see," he said.
Notably, the remarks come after Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in Iran, following the latter’s assurance on the Strait of Hormuz.
Situation in Lebanon
He said, "It has nothing to do with the operation in Iran. When it comes to Lebanon, as I said, we have to achieve a situation in which southern Lebanon will be cleaned from Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure. That's the responsibility of the Lebanese government. When it comes to Iran, we hope that this negotiation will lead to the conditions that are part of the 15-point plan."
The Israeli ambassador maintained that Tel Aviv is entitled to defend its northern border against Hezbollah's aggression.
US-Iran Truce
Speaking about the ceasefire with Iran, Reuven Azar hoped that the negotiations would result in the "removal of two existential threats" that he said are Iran's nuclear programme and ballistic missile production.
"We officially declared that we support this ceasefire, and there are going to be negotiations led by the United States. I think it's a great sign," he said.
Iran War
This follows Iran’s accusations on Wednesday that Israel is undermining a delicate two-week truce between Washington and Tehran.
Iran warned that persistent Israeli strikes in Lebanon could nullify the agreement and reignite hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, though both President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have clarified that Lebanon is excluded from the ceasefire’s terms.
Published By : Amrita Narayan
Published On: 9 April 2026 at 10:07 IST