PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

ISRAEL KILLS HEZBOLLAH COMMANDER IN BEIRUT: FIRST STRIKE SINCE CEASEFIRE SHATTERS THE CALM

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DOMINANT ANGLE

Islamabad watches the Beirut strike through the lens of its role as designated mediator in the Iran-US negotiations

Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media

ANALYSIS

Islamabad reads the Beirut strike through its mediating role in the Iran-US negotiations. Dawn makes a crucial point: the April 17 Lebanon-Israel ceasefire 'forms the foundation of the broader Iran-US war truce, the halt of Israeli strikes on Lebanon being a key Iranian demand in its negotiations with Washington.' By striking Beirut, Israel weakens the argument Iran can make to its domestic audience to justify an agreement — and directly complicates Pakistan's work. Dawn documents that the Lebanese government initiated its highest-level contacts with Israel in decades, via Lebanon's US ambassador — two rounds in Washington on April 14 and 23, a third round planned for the following week. Pakistan observes that Iran watches these talks with extreme suspicion — Hezbollah 'firmly opposes' Lebanon-Israel contacts, and every Israeli strike on Beirut strengthens hardliners in Tehran. Islamabad finds itself in an impossible position: it must convince Tehran that Washington's proposed deal is serious, while Israel — the US's de facto ally — has just struck the capital of the country whose ceasefire was an Iranian condition.

SOURCES (1)

DawnCenter-left

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Israel strikes Beirut for the first time since ceasefire

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