According to a video posted on Fox News on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, retired General Jack Keane said the mediators handling talks between the United States and Iran cannot be trusted, arguing they have quietly favored Tehran over Washington throughout the process.
Keane, a strategic analyst, raised the concern while breaking down why negotiations have repeatedly failed to produce a lasting resolution.
Keane said it is well known within the Middle East region, and understood by American intelligence services and other regional players, that Pakistan and Qatar have historically leaned toward Iran’s interests rather than those of the United States.
He described this bias as longstanding and not a new development, yet noted that these same countries continue to serve as the primary mediators in the current negotiations.
In his words, General Jack Keane said, “it is well-known in the Middle East region by our intelligence services, by all the players, that the Pakistanis and Qataris are compromised because they favor Iran at the expense of the United States.
“Historical, not new. Yet they are the mediators. Their influence here, I think, has played a part in misleading the United States in terms of Iran’s real intentions” he said.
Keane connected this concern to a broader pattern of confusion surrounding the talks, including Iran publicly denying that any negotiations were scheduled to begin, even as President Trump indicated privately that discussions were moving forward.
He said this contradiction reflects the difficulty of relying on mediators with divided loyalties.
Keane added that Iran’s recent violation of an earlier agreement over the Straits of Hormuz reinforces his skepticism, arguing that any deal reached through these channels deserves close scrutiny before Washington commits to easing pressure on Tehran.
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