Resumption of war on Iran unlikely: Pakistani minister

TABNAK, May 19 - Khawaja Muhammad Asif says a resumption of the US-Israeli war on Iran is unlikely given the widespread global opposition and lack of public support in the US.

News ID: 7426

Date: 19 May 2026 - 20:18

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif says a resumption of the US-Israeli war on Iran is unlikely given the widespread global opposition and lack of public support in the United States for another war in West Asia.

In an interview with Geo News’ “Capital Talk” program on Monday, Asif stated Israel strongly desires the war to restart and be fought by America on its side, but “my hunch says that this war will not happen again.”

“Wars are fought when the public stands behind them. When the public does not support them, wars are not fought,” he added.

The defense minister noted that even Iran’s neighbors across the Persian Gulf are not in favor of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He highlighted Pakistan’s ancient linguistic and neighborly ties with Iran and expressed gratitude for Tehran’s trust in Islamabad’s mediation efforts.

Asif argued that Israel has been left alone in its push for a prolonged conflict, according to Press TV.

“Israel or maybe two or three countries want the war to be prolonged and for America to fight on their behalf,” he said, stressing that the overwhelming international mood is against it.

He said the positions of China and Russia are very clear in that they, along with other nations, are not supporters of war against Iran.

The defense minister also praised Iran’s strong spirit during the imposed war, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint assaults that assassinated Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and targeted civilian infrastructure.