“Ludicrous nonsense”: Col Douglas Macgregor on Pakistan bid; says India better placed to mediate West Asia conflict
In an interview with ANI, Macgregor said Pakistan is dealing with major domestic difficulties, including a precarious economic situation, and argued it would not be accepted as a neutral intermediary in the conflict.
“For the Pakistanis 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 the Israelis,” he said.
“They’re going to view Pakistan as part of the problem. Why would you go to Pakistan to Islamabad to try and close a deal, if you will, on ending the war? That’s an impossibility. It strikes me as just ludicrous nonsense,” he added.
He also said Pakistan faces “enormous problems” and added, “financially, they’re insolvent and so forth.”
India better placed for mediation role
Macgregor contrasted Pakistan with India, saying India could play a credible mediating role due to its diplomatic relationships across geopolitical blocs.
“Pakistan is not what I would call a civilisational state. It’s part of a civilisational complex. But India itself is one of these core civilisational states, which is desperately needed, you know, in the world today,” he said.He added that Israel is unlikely to trust Pakistan-led mediation efforts.
“If the Israelis heard that they were supposed to show up in Islamabad for a meeting, I think they’d laugh it off. This is ridiculous. Why should we trust anything those people say?” he asked.
He further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi could play a key role internationally.
“Prime Minister Modi is someone who enjoys a great deal of respect and confidence across the globe. He is someone who is at ease with (Russian President) Vladimir Putin in Moscow. He is comfortable talking to the leadership in Tehran. He recently visited Israel, and the Israelis are comfortable with him. We are comfortable with India,” Macgregor said, speaking to ANI.
“I would urge Prime Minister Modi to talk to his advisors and call President Donald Trump…India itself is one of these core civilisational states, a large and powerful continental state…I think we would be better off if India exerted a great deal more influence in a place like the Indian Ocean and its surroundings,” he added.
US warns of global economic impact as Strait of Hormuz tensions rise
Macgregor said the West Asia conflict between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other has entered its fourth week, disrupting global energy supply chains.
He said the Strait of Hormuz is “functionally closed, except for those exceptions which India, China, now Japan have managed to negotiate”.
He warned that rising oil prices could trigger wider economic consequences.
“When fuel goes up, fertiliser goes up, food goes up, animal feed goes up, all these prices rise simultaneously,” he said.
‘India cannot remain a spectator’: Macgregor
Macgregor said India cannot remain passive in the evolving geopolitical situation.
“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 said.
He also said there is no immediate resolution in sight.
“There is no off-ramp right now, and we desperately need an off-ramp….” he said.
He added that India’s growing economic and military strength places it in a unique position globally, and suggested US President Donald Trump would listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I think President Trump, if he listens to anybody at this point, is probably going to listen to Prime Minister Modi…I think he will listen. I think the Israelis will listen…the man who has to deliver on the Israelis, let’s be frank, is ultimately Donald Trump,” he said.
Iran signals firm stance on ceasefire conditions
On Iran, Macgregor said he does not expect Tehran to concede at this stage.
“You have Chinese satellites, Russian satellites feeding this imagery and information to the Iranians…they can launch out to 1,000 miles,” he said.
“If we go forward, as I think we will, and we take losses and we look ridiculous, it’ll be that much harder to negotiate some sort of agreement in the aftermath,” he added.
Earlier, Iran had responded negatively to a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict, insisting any cessation of hostilities would occur only on Tehran’s “own terms and timeline,” a senior political-security official told state broadcaster Press TV.
Iran said it would end the war when it decides to do so and “when its own conditions are met,” adding it would continue its defence until its demands are fulfilled.
US-Iran tensions and ceasefire diplomacy
Israel’s media have reported that US President Donald Trump and his administration have set 15 conditions for Iran to end the conflict.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, citing an unnamed US official, Washington has informed Jerusalem of ongoing negotiations.
However, the report added that Jerusalem is concerned the US may push for a “framework agreement” rather than enforcing strict conditions for ending the war.
The conflict between Israel-US and Iran began on February 28 and has raised global concerns over casualties and disruptions in global energy supply chains.
