Why Is US Warning Pakistan Over Ceasefire Negotiations With Iran?

US Senator Rick Scott has questioned Pakistan’s role as a possible mediator in the US-Iran ceasefire, saying Islamabad cannot be seen as a credible peace broker after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The Republican lawmaker accused Pakistan of hypocrisy and warned that Washington is closely monitoring its actions. His remarks came after Sharif paid tribute to Khamenei during the funeral, a move Scott cited while challenging Islamabad’s diplomatic position.

Sharif described the 86-year-old Shia cleric as “a great scholar and leader whom millions of Muslims will remember.” He also said, “Pakistan and Iran will march together under all circumstances.” The comments have now become the centre of criticism from the US senator, who argued they contradict Pakistan’s efforts to position itself as a mediator.

We need to remember who Pakistan really is in the middle of all this.

We’re talking about a country where bin Laden hid out for a decade, where they selectively enforce lopsided blasphemy laws to persecute Christians, and where the Prime Minister just praised the genocidal mass…

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) July 6, 2026

Pakistan faces sharp criticism as US senator questions its credibility

Sharing a video of Sharif’s speech on X, Scott revisited Pakistan’s past and accused the country of supporting extremism. He wrote, “We need to remember who Pakistan really is in the middle of all this. We’re talking about a country where bin Laden hid out for a decade, where they selectively enforce lopsided blasphemy laws to persecute Christians, and where the prime minister just praised the genocidal mass-murdering tyrant that used to run Iran.”

Scott further said Pakistan was “no better qualified to ‘mediate’ this than the Hamas-harbouring Qataris.” Ending his post with a warning, he added, “Islamabad should take note; we’re watching closely.”

Pakistan row unfolds as Iran holds massive funeral ceremonies

The criticism comes as Iran continues multi-day funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Thousands of mourners gathered in the holy city of Qom, where his remains were placed at the Jamkaran Mosque, one of Shia Islam’s most important religious sites.

State television showed packed streets across the city, which has a population of around 1.5 million. A prayer service inside the mosque was led by 93-year-old Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli, a senior conservative Shia cleric. As per reports, during the ceremony, crowds repeatedly chanted, “death to America,” a slogan commonly heard at official events in Iran.

Pakistan debate continues as final burial preparations begin

Television footage also showed mourners, including clerics wearing turbans, paying tribute to the coffins of Khamenei and four relatives who were killed alongside him, including a granddaughter reportedly just 14 months old. A procession later carried the bodies on a truck towards the mausoleum of Fatima Masumeh, the sister of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia imam and a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

The previous day’s funeral procession in Tehran drew massive crowds, with Iranian authorities seeking to project unity after the recent war and anti-government protests that swept the country six months ago. The turnout was compared with the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic. Another procession is scheduled in Iraq on Wednesday, while Khamenei’s final burial will take place on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad, ending ceremonies that have unfolded as Pakistan’s diplomatic role comes under renewed scrutiny from the United States.

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