DID Press: A senior Pakistani diplomat has warned that the breakdown of diplomatic efforts between Iran and United States could push the region toward a prolonged and fragile conflict.
In a recent opinion piece, Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, said there is still no clear path toward ending the ongoing confrontation between Tehran and Washington, despite months of indirect engagement.
Lodhi noted that early mediation efforts, including initial talks facilitated in Islamabad, have stalled, while Pakistan’s broader mediation attempts have yet to produce results. She described the current situation as a “neither war nor peace” phase, warning that the fragile ceasefire could collapse at any moment.
According to her analysis, both sides have hardened their positions. U.S. President Donald Trump is described as alternating between threats of renewed military action and signals of possible negotiation, while maintaining pressure through a maritime blockade strategy. Iran, meanwhile, is said to be leveraging its strategic position in the Strait of Hormuz to raise the economic costs for Washington and its allies through asymmetric deterrence.
Lodhi also highlighted severe economic consequences, including what she called one of the largest oil supply shocks in history, contributing to higher global energy prices, declining reserves, and disruptions in supply chains for essential goods such as fertilizers and aluminum.
She further argued that domestic pressure inside the United States is increasing, with rising fuel prices, slowing economic growth, and public opposition to continued conflict creating political strain for the administration. Polling data, she added, suggests a significant portion of the American public views the war as a policy mistake.
Concluding her warning, Lodhi stressed that while wars are easy to start, they are far more difficult to end, and without flexibility from both sides, the risk of escalation into a full-scale conflict remains high.