Former US Army combatant and geopolitical risk advisor Colonel Douglas A. Macgregor (Retd) on Thursday questioned Pakistan's credibility as a mediator in the war between Iran and US-Israel forces, which nears its fourth week.
Noting that Pakistan was facing severe internal challenges, and could not be construed as neutral in the mediation efforts, Macgregor argued that the decision to involve Islamabad was "ludicrous".
"For Pakistan to offer help is sort of like a man who is in a burning building offering you a spare room in the building. Pakistan's not going to be viewed in any way, shape or form as neutral by Israel," he told ANI in a podcast.
"Why would you go to Pakistan ... to try and close a deal, if you will, on ending the war?" he added, pointing out that Islamabad's insolvency crisis was among the issues that made India a better choice for mediation.
Noting that PM Modi enjoys comfortable working relationships with Russia, Iran, and Israel, Macgregor pointed out that New Delhi had also already negotiated safe passage for its ships in the Hormuz Strait, and could not afford to remain passive amid the global economic fallout from the war.
"India cannot afford to remain a spectator on the sidelines in this conflict because this war is not ending in two weeks; it's not ending in two months," he warned.
According to the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), Col Macgregor (Retd) served from November 1997 to December 1999 as the chief of strategic planning and director of the Joint Operations Center, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe.
Peace talks fall through
Iran on Thursday dismissed Washington's latest proposal to end the war in the Gulf, declaring that it did not adhere to its five demands to end the war, and that it unfairly sided towards US-Israel interests.
This comes after Iranian Navy chief Alireza Tangsiri, the brains behind the usage of the embattled Hormuz Strait as Tehran's leverage, was killed in airstrikes on parts of Bandar Abbas.
Iran has also earlier rejected US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan, but the Thursday rejection comes after Tehran reviewed the detailed version of the plan.
However, Tehran maintains that it is still open to a proper end to the war using diplomacy.