Retired General Jack Keane questions reliability of Qatar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as Iran mediators

Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane told Fox News that Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia cannot be trusted as mediators in negotiations with Iran, arguing they have a bias toward Tehran that undermines U.S. pressure. Keane, a former four-star general and senior strategic analyst for the network, said intelligence agencies and regional actors view the two countries as “compromised” because they favor Iran at the expense of the United States.

"It is well known in the Middle East region, by our intelligence services, by all the players, that the Pakistanis and the Qataris are compromised because they favor Iran at the expense of the United States," Keane said.

Keane contrasted his view with President Donald Trump’s public praise for Islamabad and Doha, noting Trump’s remarks that Pakistan had been “terrific” in advancing the talks and that both countries helped produce a U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the partners, saying the president values their involvement and that any failure of Iran to reach a deal would be its own responsibility.

The mediators are reportedly preparing a second memorandum focused on the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to separate maritime security issues from broader nuclear negotiations. Keane warned that the involvement of Pakistan and Qatar may have contributed to a U.S. misunderstanding of Iran’s intentions.

"And yet they’re mediators. So their influence here, I think, had played a part in misleading the United States in terms of Iran’s real intentions," he said.

Pakistan and Qatar issued a joint statement on June 22 confirming their role in facilitating talks under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which established working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions and maritime safety. Pakistan declined comment on Keane’s criticism, and the Saudi and Qatari embassies did not respond.

Raza Rumi, editor-at-large of Pakistan’s The Friday Times, disputed the claim that Islamabad is a compromised mediator, arguing that its engagement with Tehran reflects geographic, security and economic considerations rather than ideological alignment.

Keane also criticized Saudi Arabia, alleging that Riyadh denied U.S. access to its airspace and bases during planning for a possible operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and that Saudi officials have urged Trump not to resume major military actions against Iran.

"The fact of the matter is, the Saudis are not willing to sacrifice to rid the Middle East region of Iran’s aggression," he said.

Saudi geopolitical analyst Salman Al-Ansari said Riyadh supports confronting Iranian aggression but opposes an open-ended war without clear objectives, emphasizing a preference for diplomacy backed by credible deterrence. An anonymous Gulf affairs analyst suggested Saudi caution stems from concerns about potential retaliation against its critical infrastructure.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that the United States continues to rely on Saudi infrastructure, including overland pipelines and Red Sea shipping routes, to sustain its pressure strategy on Iran.

Negotiations involving Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are ongoing to develop an interim arrangement for shipping through Iranian and Omani waters while broader nuclear talks continue. Keane expressed doubt that Iran would relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a strategic asset the regime intends to retain.