Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane has expressed doubts about the reliability of Pakistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia as mediators in negotiations with Iran. Keane, a Fox News senior strategic analyst, stated on Monday that these regional partners may be steering President Donald Trump away from exerting military pressure on Tehran, while leaving the United States and Israel to confront the risks.
Keane asserted that Pakistan and Qatar are "compromised" as mediators because, in his view, they prioritize Iran's interests over those of the United States. "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. "This is historical. This is not new."
This assessment contrasts with President Trump's public remarks. Trump has previously stated he has "great respect for Pakistan" and that its officials have "been terrific" and "really tried" to advance negotiations with Iran. He also credited Pakistan and Qatar with helping to advance the negotiations that led to a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s regional partners, telling Fox News Digital, "President Trump has great relationships with leaders from Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and he appreciates the involvement of all of our regional partners who are assisting with negotiations."
Keane suggested that the involvement of Pakistan and Qatar may have led to a misunderstanding of Iran's intentions. "And yet they’re mediators," Keane said. "So their influence here, I think, had played a part in misleading the United States in terms of Iran’s real intentions."
Pakistan and Qatar have formally participated in the diplomatic process, issuing a joint statement on June 22 regarding their mediation efforts under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. This framework included working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring, and dispute resolution, as well as a mechanism to prevent incidents involving commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Raza Rumi, editor-at-large of Pakistan’s The Friday Times, disputed Keane's characterization. Rumi argued that Pakistan's working relationship with Tehran does not make it a compromised mediator, explaining that successful mediators often maintain channels with all sides. He stated that Pakistan's approach is driven by geography, security, and economic concerns, rather than ideological alignment with Iran, and pointed to past exchanges of strikes between Pakistan and Iran as evidence that relations are not uniformly close. "The suggestion that Pakistan somehow caused Washington to misunderstand Tehran’s intentions is difficult to substantiate," Rumi said.
Keane also directed criticism at Saudi Arabia, claiming that Riyadh denied the U.S. access to Saudi airspace and a U.S. air base during preparations for a potential operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He further alleged that Saudi officials had repeatedly urged Trump against resuming major military operations against Iran. "The fact of the matter is, the Saudis are not willing to sacrifice to rid the Middle East region of Iran’s aggression," Keane stated, suggesting that Saudi Arabia is unwilling to incur casualties or risk damage to its oil infrastructure. "They’re willing for us to make that sacrifice, for sure," he added. "They’re willing for Israel to make that sacrifice, for sure."
Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, rejected the notion that Riyadh is unwilling to confront Iran, explaining that the Kingdom differentiates between credible deterrence and military action without clear objectives. "Saudi Arabia supports confronting Iranian aggression, but not an open-ended regional war without clear objectives or an endgame," Al-Ansari told Fox News Digital. "Riyadh favors diplomacy backed by credible deterrence, but any agreement must be enforceable and verifiable, addressing Iran’s nuclear program, its proxies, and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
Another Gulf affairs analyst, speaking anonymously, suggested that Saudi leaders fear a wider confrontation could expose the Kingdom’s critical infrastructure to Iranian retaliation, leading Riyadh to favor restraint and negotiations. This analyst described a division among Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar favoring accommodation, while the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait support stronger pressure on Iran.
Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former National Security Council official, noted that Washington relies on Saudi infrastructure, including overland pipelines, to maintain its strategic position in the region. "When we talk about the Gulf states, we talk about Saudi Arabia and General Keane’s comments, remember, we also are relying on Saudi Arabia with their overland pipelines to keep us in the game here," Goldberg said.
Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have all been involved in diplomatic efforts concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Reports indicate that mediators are working on an interim arrangement for separate shipping routes through Iranian and Omani waters, while broader nuclear negotiations continue.
Keane remains skeptical about Iran's willingness to cede meaningful control over the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "strategic asset" for Tehran. He predicted that reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program would be even more challenging. "My gut feeling here is no," Keane said when asked if Iran was prepared to reach and implement a substantive agreement. "The president is not going to make a bad deal here."