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The Indispensable Bad Actor
Foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Egypt in consultations in Islamabad, March 29, 2026, to discuss ending the US-Israel war on Iran. Source: @MIshaqDar50 / X

The Ledger

The Indispensable Bad Actor

Pakistan seeded the nuclear crisis it is now asked to resolve. Abdul Qadeer Khan transferred centrifuge designs to Iran. Washington pardoned Islamabad without consequence. Now the same Washington routes its Iran diplomacy through Pakistan. The bad actor designation expires when you become useful.

3 min read

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