'Confident powers are not brokers': Congress' Manish Tewari mocks Pakistan's attempt to broker Iran-US talks
The US and Iran failed to reach a peace deal at their historic 21-hour talks in Pakistan, leaving the fate of a tenuous two-week ceasefire in doubt, with both sides attempting to hold each other responsible for the collapse of the negotiations.
Amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran, including talks held in Pakistan that ended without a breakthrough, Congress MP Manish Tewari mocked Islamabad's attempt to position itself as a mediator between the two countries and questioned the role of global powers seeking to act as intermediaries.
His remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts, with Pakistan attempting to mediate between the US and Iran, including hosting high-level talks in Islamabad that ended without a breakthrough.
Manish Tewari on Pakistan
Questioning the role of global powers as mediators, the Congress MP remarked that over the past 250 years, the US has 'hardly' played the role of a mediator in wars. He added that since 1917, neither Russia nor the former Soviet Union has played the role of an interlocutor to end wars, while China has 'hardly ever' served as a go-between in conflicts.
"How many times has the US been an intermediary in a War in the past 250 odd years- Perhaps Hardly. How many times has the Soviet Union/ Russia been an interlocutor since 1917 not to talk about Tsarist Russia to end a war - Perhaps Never. How many times has China been a go between in a conflict since Millennia - Hardly ever. Big and confident powers are actors not brokers, " Tewari said in a post on X, asserting that major nations prefer to shape outcomes directly rather than mediate.
He suggested that smaller or middle powers often seek global recognition through such roles, pointing to Pakistan’s attempt to broker talks between Washington and Tehran. "Small or Middle Powers seeking recognition through mediation. That should explain Pakistan’s role in the attempted arbitration between Iran and the US. History is instructive. People should read," he said.
Congress criticised govt over peace talks in Pakistan
Meanwhile, the Congress party has mounted a sharp attack on the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the same developments. The party questioned the government's handling of the situation and raised concerns over Pakistan's role as a mediator, especially in light of its alleged involvement in the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Congress leaders also highlighted what they described as a failure to effectively isolate Pakistan diplomatically despite sustained efforts following the incident.
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid criticised the government's approach to the West Asia crisis, alleging that India failed to act as an "ambassador of peace" and instead remained a "mute spectator."
Khurshid cautioned that the outcome of the ongoing talks could be crucial. "If something comes out of talks, the situation can be saved. But if the talks don’t go well, or if there is no agreement, things could spiral out of control," he said, adding that it remains uncertain whether the conflict could escalate further.
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