Overview
- Two Republican senators publicly criticised Pakistan and Qatar on Monday after Vice President J.D. Vance praised Pakistani officials during technical talks in Switzerland.
- Senator Rick Scott said the countries have “long histories of harbouring terrorists” and warned any deal must bar Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
- Senator Tim Sheehy alleged Pakistan hid Osama bin Laden for a decade and accused Qatar of years of laundering money for terrorist groups, presenting these remarks as political allegations.
- Both senators called for the United States to push for broader regional inclusion by adding the UAE, Israel, and Saudi Arabia to the negotiations.
- The statements echo earlier concerns from Senator Lindsey Graham in May and risk creating U.S. political friction with ongoing technical talks and the recently reported accord negotiated with Pakistan and Qatar.