US senators slam Qatar, Pakistan over Iran talks and terror allegations

Washington,UPDATED: Jun 23, 2026 08:00 IST

Two Republican senators in the US have criticised Qatar and Pakistan over what they described as histories of "harbouring terrorists", against the backdrop of Vice President J D Vance's recent remarks expressing "love" for Pakistan. The comments came as Vance took part in discussions in Switzerland with leaders from Pakistan and Qatar on the technical details of a peace deal with Iran.

Senators Rick Scott and Tim Sheehy said Pakistan and Qatar should not be seen as impartial intermediaries in the talks. Sheehy also said the US should include the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia in the discussions, calling them Washington's real allies in the region.

In a post on X on Monday, Scott said, "It should be clear to everybody by now who our friends really are. Qatar and Pakistan have long histories of harbouring terrorists, and right now they seem far more invested in propping up Iran's decades-long terror campaign than achieving a meaningful peace." Referring to the talks, he added, "There is still room for a workable agreement that benefits everyone. HOWEVER, what everybody needs to get through their heads here is that there is ZERO chance Iran comes out of this able to build a nuclear weapon."

Scott's remarks came after Vance's "we love Pakistan" comment in Switzerland, where he was negotiating with leaders from Pakistan and Qatar. In a separate interview with Fox News, Montana Senator Tim Sheehy also questioned Pakistan's role, saying, "Pakistan, let's not forget, Pakistan hid bin Laden for a decade. They funded Ayatollah through ISI insurances."

Sheehy said that if Pakistan and Qatar were at the negotiating table, the US should also have the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia in the talks. He said those three countries were the real allies of the US in the Middle East. He also alleged that Qatar had been laundering money for terrorist organisations for decades.

Sheehy further said, "The Pakistanis through the ISI funded insurgencies against us and hid bin Laden. So to assume they're going to be objective middlemen here, I don't think is accurate." He added, "I think we need to make sure that we stand with the UAE, and we stand with Israel unequivocally, because they will be our vanguard in the region no matter what happens."

On a lighter note, Vance on Sunday said Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir was among two of his "favourite" people. "I will say that since Field Marshal Munir welcomed us with the Prime Minister in Islamabad, I have joked that I have two very, very important people in my life -- an Indian and a Pakistani. The Indian is my wife, and the Pakistani is Field Marshal Munir," he said. Vance also said that in the last three months, he had spoken to Munir more than "anybody else". The latest remarks from Scott and Sheehy have added to the debate around Pakistan and Qatar's role in the Iran-related talks involving the US.

With PTI Inputs

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