Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
17 April 2026 | 13:25 CAT
3-minute read

Politics obstruct US-Iran nuclear deal

The announcement of a ten-day agreement that aims to pause Israel’s intense six-week onslaught on Lebanon has brought a sense of relief to Beirut. However, the ceasefire remains fragile due to Israel’s horrible track record, ongoing Israeli military presence, and reported early violations.

Trump described the pause in fighting as a “nice little package” to pave the way for broader regional peace amid his claims that a deal to end Washington’s war on Iran is “very close”.

Negotiations are expected to resume in Pakistan’s capital this weekend after a previous attempt on 11 and 12 April failed. A major sticking point is a US-Iran nuclear deal; which analysts say has been obstructed by politics.

During this week’s Middle East Report, James Dorsey explained that to justify the war against Iran, any nuclear agreement will have to be significantly superior to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that curbed Iran’s nuclear program.

“The fact of the matter is that the contours of the current potential deal are an improvement, but the question is whether they are an improvement to the degree that it would have justified the war against Iran,” he said.

US Blockade of Iran’s coastline puts Iranian resilience to the test

On April 12, following failed peace talks in Islamabad, Trump announced a naval blockade targeting all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports.

Despite Tehran’s display of resilience, maintenance of regime cohesion, and strategic use of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage since Washington waged war on it, the US blockade serves to increase its stranglehold on the Iranian economy significantly.

“It’s basically the only country, whatever one thinks of Iran, that has stood up to Donald Trump’s diktats and basically said no, and we don’t care what the cost of saying no is,” Dorsey observed, adding, “With…the US blockade of Iranian ports, the United States, as a matter of principle, significantly increases its stranglehold on the Iranian economy by blocking the majority of Iranian oil exports, but also imports into Iran.”

With approximately 90% of Iran’s economy reliant on seaborne trade, the US blockade puts Iran’s economy in a precarious position.

Pakistan commended for its peace-brokering role

Analysts have acknowledged Pakistan’s role in brokering a peace deal been the US and Iran.

“Pakistan has played a significant role in trying to bring the United States and Iran together, and it’s continuing to do so. And it will be a feather in its hat if indeed it gets a second round of direct negotiations in Islamabad in the next few days, and obviously even more so if there were an agreement to come out of that engagement,” Dorsey said.

Not only has its role earned it global recognition, but has provided critical economic relief. Amidst the diplomacy, Saudi Arabia recently provided $3 billion to bolster Pakistan’s foreign reserves.

However, Dorsey notes that Pakistan is performing a diplomatic “tightrope walk,” juggling its role as a mediator for Iran with its deep-seated military and economic commitments to Saudi Arabia. This includes navigating a mutual defence pact signed with Saudi Arabia in late 2025.

Pakistan’s internal dynamics add another layer of complexity. It is home to the world’s largest Shia minority, creating a natural sensitivity in how it engages with neighbouring Iran, particularly amid heightened sectarian and geopolitical tensions.

At the same time, its strategic commitments to Saudi Arabia remain firmly in place. The mutual defence pact between the two countries — which includes a NATO-style clause treating an attack on one as an attack on both — has already translated into material support, with Pakistan deploying fighter jets, troops and defence equipment to the kingdom in a precautionary capacity.

This dual positioning underscores the delicate balance Islamabad must maintain: presenting itself as a neutral facilitator while simultaneously safeguarding its own security interests and longstanding alliances.

Listen to the Middle East Report with James M Dorsey on Sabaahul Muslim, hosted by Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.