In the federal capital of Islamabad, this Sunday, Pakistan seized the distinct privilege of chairing the meeting of the foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, an assembly designed to tackle the prevailing dispute with the aim of alleviating tensions in the region. Consequently, Pakistan’s diplomatic stature has been fortified to such an unprecedented degree at the global level that no parallel exists in the past.
In fact, whether concerning Pakistan or any other sovereign nation, endeavors towards mediation and hosting negotiations are profoundly significant not only for easing tensions in the region but also for mitigating economic apprehensions worldwide, given that the Iran war is a conflict whose repercussions are being felt not only in the Middle East and Gulf countries but also in South Asian nations such as Pakistan and throughout the world. This is momentous because the entire world is grappling with economic distress, which is generating confusion across the globe, and all countries are dismayed by the war because they are increasingly cognizant of how perilous the Iran war is, along with what ramifications and consequences it is exerting on their economies and populations, and how much adversity it is imposing upon the affected countries.
In the United States, large-scale protests against the Iran war are ongoing, with millions of people taking part. According to reports, nearly 9 million people gathered at over 3,000 events across the country, chanting slogans such as “No war” and “No King.” Protests against the Iran war and escalating tensions in the Middle East were also conducted in other countries of the world, including Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Athens and Israel. The Israeli public also endured considerable hardship by living in bunkers for months, while the total population of Israel is 9.8 million and Arab Muslim Israeli citizens number 2 million, who have been relegated as second-class citizens.
On the other hand, the Iran war has escalated because the United States has mobilized for ground action in Iran’s coastal areas including Kharg Island. Special forces and conventional troops will participate in limited ground action in Iran, as stated by an American newspaper. As stated by a US official, the Pentagon is ready for a ground war lasting weeks, however it is not yet clear whether the President of the United States will approve the deployment of ground troops or not.
In other developments in the region, the Houthis of Yemen carried out missile and drone attacks on Israel for the first time and announced that they will continue to support resistance fronts in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. The encouraging development is that Iran allowed 20 Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which Pakistan described as an important step towards establishing peace. This initiative by Iran is expected to alleviate the global energy crisis because the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz is being acknowledged at the global level.
On the other hand, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued its attacks on Gulf countries, and these attacks were carried out as a response to US military installations, because the United States and Israel had recently attacked Iranian industrial installations. Between 4 to 9 percent of the global aluminum supply depends on this region, which poses grave concerns for global supply.
The situation in Lebanon is also precarious, where as a result of Israeli attacks, 3 journalists and 9 members of the medical staff were killed, while more than 3,300 were injured. In southern Lebanon, hospitals and 51 primary health centers have been closed, and many others have been forced to operate with limited capacity. In Israeli and US attacks, Iranian universities have also now been targeted, as a result of which the Revolutionary Guards have also announced that they will target American universities in the Gulf.
It is also necessary to mention here that it is part of Pakistan’s diplomatic history and its inherent character that Pakistan has played an effective role on multilateral forums, and not only in 1971 does Pakistan have the credit for reducing the distance between the United States and China, but behind-the-scenes diplomacy between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan in the 1980 Geneva Accords, and backchannel diplomacy in the Doha Agreement, are also part of this tradition. There is a need to take practical steps to halt the Iran war so that the deteriorating situation in the region can move towards improvement and the world can remain safe from the deleterious effects of this war.
