'Using Pakistan as convenient...': Ex-Foreign Secretary hits out at Trump, calls Hormuz blockade a 'serious problem'

Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal on Wednesday criticised US President Donald Trump over his decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran, accusing him of relying on Pakistan to manage a situation "of his own making".

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Sibal's remarks came after Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran, citing a request from Pakistan and the need to allow Tehran’s leadership time to present a unified proposal.

The former secretary said Trump was "using Pakistan as a convenient crutch to extract himself from a trap of his own making," adding, "Unlike Oman's FM, Pakistan will not expose the reality."

Trump, in a post, said the decision followed a request from Pakistan's leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said he had directed the US military to continue the blockade while extending the ceasefire "until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."

Sibal rejected Trump's reasoning that Iran’s government needed time to unify its position. "The excuse that Iran’s government is fractured and he will give it time to forge a unified position is as lame as it can be," he said.

He added that Iran had already conveyed its stance, saying: "The Iranian government has clarified that US demands go beyond Iran's 10 point proposal and that the US is making unacceptable demands, seeking to win through negotiation what it could not win through war."

Sibal also pointed to criticism within Iran of Pakistan’s role, stating, "Iran’s official media is questioning Pakistan’s pro-US role."

He further said Trump appeared to prioritise Pakistan’s military leadership over its civilian government. "Trump is again slighting the Pak PM by giving more importance to the Army Chief’s request, which he mentions first," Sibal said.

While critical of the US approach, Sibal welcomed the ceasefire extension. "Whatever the obfuscation, the indefinite extension of the ceasefire is to be welcomed," he said.

However, he warned that the ongoing US blockade remained a major concern. "The US blockade however is a serious problem as it blocks the flow of oil and negotiations as well," he added.

Trump also claimed in a separate post that Iran was facing severe financial strain, saying it was "losing 500 million dollars a day" and was "starving for cash".

The ceasefire extension came hours before an earlier two-week truce was due to expire and led to the postponement of a planned US delegation visit to Islamabad for talks with Iranian representatives.