Yet we need to recognize the diplomatic value of neutrality for peaceful conflict resolution.
Pakistan from the beginning of this latest, most globally dangerous US-Iran confrontation has led the way in projecting itself as best qualified intermediary. Algeria in 1980-1981 proved the best intermediary in the US-Iran crisis over American hostages held since 1979. Algeria’s role in those negotiations provides a successful model for Pakistan today.
“We Algerians are completely focused on honorably fulfilling our nation’s voluntary diplomatic role to serve as the neutral intermediary, mediator between the U.S. and Iran. We have good diplomatic relations with each side. We are messengers and unbiased interpreters between two adversarial nations. We wish only to bring an end to the dispute.”
Algerian diplomats described to me their role in then-ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations over American hostages held in Tehran since November 1979. Flying across the Atlantic Ocean on two Concorde flights several days apart in late December 1980, both Algerian ambassadors, one to the United States and the other to Iran, agreed to talk with me, the surprise reporter on board.
As an international journalist, I had been involved in coverage of that dramatic international Iran-US “hostage story” from the first day. A year into the continuing crisis, in November 1980, upon my initiating reporting the newly developing Algerian diplomatic effort, I became ABCNews’ so-called “Algerian Connection” covering Algeria’s role as intermediary.
Those two Dec. (26 & 31) 1980 Concorde flights carried the Algerian envoys en-route to and from diplomatic talks with senior Americans in Washington before the two flew on to Tehran to convey messages the beginning of 1981.
Then, also early January, the top U.S. negotiators set up their final base of operations at the U.S Embassy in Algiers until all 52 American hostages were finally released from Iran to Algeria January 20th for handing over to U.S. officials and an American plane waiting at Algiers Airport. Algeria kept the trust of each separate side to reach agreement. Algeria’s neutral diplomacy between the country’s two friends succeeded.
Today in 2026 Pakistan is playing the delicate, chief intermediary role between the same two adversarial nations. Pakistan is a friend of both Iran and USA, as well as with a number of concerned observers, especially China. Pakistan shares multiple bonds with each combatant, including a geographic border, regional concerns and religion with Iran, and also many important, long-standing global connections with the US. Pakistan maintains neutrality in this.
A rare number of nations, like Switzerland, maintain an internationally acknowledged state of neutrality worldwide. Other nations might claim neutrality in a particular conflict, war or other dispute, while maintaining friendship with both sides. Sometimes such countries with a strong desire to end conflict between two of their friends serve as intermediary.
Opposition to neutrality comes from all sides, including the warmongers and those opposing wars. Bullies deride neutrality and do all to force taking their side. The threats against and lures to entice openly and subtly push and pull others incessantly to give up any neutral inclination.
This year the current American president threatened the Arab nation of Oman for maintaining Iran ties along with its centuries-old U.S. relations, including recent decades’ serving as valued interlocutor between USA and Iran. Oman continues standing its ground, as friend of both combatants, from its ancient geographic position over the Persian (also Arab) Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz and long Omani coastline on the Indian Ocean.
Qatar, though also an intermediary relaying messages between the U.S. and Iran, houses some inherent obstacles to claiming true neutrality. That Arab nation, also across the shared Gulf from Iran, hosts a major U.S. military base while simultaneously offering refuge to Iranian-supported international organizations deemed terrorists by the U.S.
Yet Qatar still operates as a key influencer-intermediary bearing messages, offering advice as it wields enormous financial and strategic power over both warring nations.
Historically, Algeria, though never truly credited by the antagonists or global media, played the essential diplomatic role of neutral intermediary in resolving that 444-days-long U.S.-Iran conflict finally in January 1981.
Let’s hope Pakistan can maintain its neutrality throughout this current conflict to become the successful intermediary between Iran and USA. It’s a difficult position to maintain as warring nations welcome scapegoats to blame for any negotiating failure. Pakistan can now demonstrate, as Algeria previously, the value of delicate, diplomatic balance between friends.
Long live peacemaking neutrality!