By granting the six land routes to Tehran, Islamabad appears to have punched a hole into Trump's strategy.Washington:

Pakistan, the lead negotiator between the warring United States and Iran, is being accused of "double-dealing" Washington by granting Iran six overland routes to trade with Russia, China, and beyond. The allegations came after Islamabad, earlier this week, officially notified six land transit routes for goods destined for Iran in a bid to bypass the crippled maritime trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea.

Now, Derek J Grossman, a US national security expert, has warned that by granting these overland routes to Iran, Pakistan was undermining Trump's strategy of maximum economic pressure, as it would help Tehran bypass the American blockade of its port and continue its oil trade uninterrupted.

"Trump administration, you have a problem. Your good friend Pakistan appears to have just opened six overland links to Iran, helping the regime bypass your counter-blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. This will help Iran continue to resist US pressure. Islamabad double-deals America again!" he wrote in a post on X. 

Questions Over Pakistan's Credibility

The latest remakes add to the growing criticism over Pakistan's role as a mediator. Islamabad has been accused of being an unreliable player in mediation by Israel. Earlier this month, Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, expressed doubts about Pakistan's ability to act as a credible mediator, saying the South Asian was not "trustworthy".  

Even Iran has cast doubt over Pakistan's neutrality in the negotiation process. Ebrahim Rezaei, who represents Iran's Dashtestan and serves as spokesperson for Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, called Islamabad a "good friend" of Tehran but stressed it "is not a suitable intermediary", claiming it is partial and tends to America's interests.  

The US Strategy 

With the US naval blockading Iranian ports, Trump is seeking to inflict enough economic pain on Tehran to coerce it into accepting American demands and end the war on his terms. The US leader has earlier this week informed his administration to be prepared for a prolonged blockade, as the impasse over peace terms has reduced the war to a test of wills. 

But by granting the six land routes to Tehran, Islamabad appears to have punched a hole into Trump's strategy. According to a Dawn report, over 3,000 cargo containers bound for Iran are awaiting clearance at Pakistani ports. The report suggested these containers could now be transported to Iran via overland routes.