Pakistan’s open embrace of Iran is sparking alarm in Washington, with a new report urging the US to downgrade its Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) standing. The document highlights how Islamabad’s actions undermine its credibility, especially as it eyes roles in US-backed peace efforts.
The ‘Board of Peace,’ inaugurated January 15, 2026, under US auspices, invited Pakistani leadership shortly after. But upcoming February 6 talks in Turkey expose the contradiction: Pakistan, courted as a helper, has a history of tilting toward Tehran.
Defense chief Khawaja Asif’s rhetoric is telling. On January 13, he called Iran an irreplaceable ally, vital to Pakistan’s interests. Reiterating this on January 20 with Iran’s ambassador, he committed to standing firm regardless of circumstances.
Pakistan’s UN vote against probing Iran’s protest violence drew Iranian gratitude on January 24. This echoes its stance during the June 2025 12-day war, supporting Iran against US-Israel strikes on nuclear targets. Post-war, President Pezeshkian’s landmark Pakistan visit in early August cemented the partnership, focusing on trade growth.
From the Middle East Media Research Institute: Pakistan’s pattern makes it ‘an untrustworthy mediator.’ It calls for excluding Islamabad from the Board of Peace and reviewing MNNA perks like advanced weaponry access.
As global powers jockey for position, the report warns that tolerating such duplicity weakens US leverage. Revoking MNNA status isn’t just symbolic – it’s a clarion call for accountability, potentially reshaping South Asia’s security dynamics and forcing Pakistan to choose sides definitively.