Trump backs Pakistan as Iran mediator after criticism from Lindsey Graham

US president lauds Islamabad, but his Republican ally says he does not trust Pakistan to facilitate Iran diplomacy.Donald Trump has reasserted his support for Pakistan to serve as a mediator between Iran and the United States after Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the US president, disparaged Islamabad’s diplomacy.In remarks on Tuesday, the US president lauded Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and its army chief Asim Munir, who helped negotiate a fragile ceasefire in Iran that came into effect last month.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Kevin Warsh confirmed to US Federal Reserve board in close Senate votelist 2 of 3US-Iran ceasefire under strain as Gulf states report drone attackslist 3 of 3Israel sent Iron Dome anti-missile batteries and personnel to UAE: US envoyend of listTrump added he is not reconsidering Pakistan as a mediator.“They’re great. I think the Pakistanis have been great. The field marshal and the prime minister of Pakistan have been absolutely great,” Trump told reporters.Hours earlier, Graham had pressed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and top US general Dan Caine about a CBS News report claiming that Pakistan is allowing Iran to park military assets on its airfields, in order to shield them from potential US and Israeli attacks.Both officials declined to comment on the veracity of the report, citing the sensitive nature of the talks between the US and Iran.Asked by Graham whether it would be “consistent” for Pakistan to act as a fair mediator if the CBS report is confirmed, Hegseth said, “I wouldn’t want to get into the middle of these negotiations.”The Republican senator quickly interrupted the defence secretary.“I do. I want to get in the middle of those negotiations,” Graham said.“I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me maybe we should be looking for somebody else to mediate. No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere.”The senator — an outspoken foreign policy hawk who has been calling for regime change in Iran — is seen as one of the most influential figures in Trump’s circle.