Pakistan’s Trump Flip-Flop: Nobel Praise to Iran Strike Condemnation in 24 Hours

In a dizzying turn of events, Pakistan has pulled a diplomatic 180 on President Donald Trump, first praising him as a Nobel Peace Prize contender for his role in brokering a truce with India, only to slam him less than 24 hours later for U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Talk about a short-lived standing ovation.

On Saturday, the Pakistani government hailed Trump’s ‘decisive diplomatic intervention’ and ‘pivotal leadership’ in de-escalating tensions with India following a tragic massacre of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir earlier this year. The nuclear-armed neighbors had been teetering on the edge of conflict, trading blows until U.S.-led efforts brought a fragile peace. For a moment, it seemed Trump had won over some unlikely fans in Islamabad.

But by Sunday, the mood had soured. Pakistan condemned the U.S. strikes on Iran as a ‘serious violation of international law’, expressing alarm over the targeting of facilities under international safeguards. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally conveyed his concerns to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, highlighting Pakistan’s close ties with Iran and its support for Tehran’s actions against Israel as self-defense.

Behind the scenes, there’s a sense that Pakistan might be playing a strategic game. A former parliamentary defense official suggested that cozying up to Trump could serve Islamabad’s interests, even if it means stroking the president’s ego. Meanwhile, a high-profile White House meeting with Pakistan’s army chief and U.S. officials underscored the delicate balancing act in the region, with discussions focusing on the escalating Iran-Israel conflict.

Trump, for his part, has been vocal about his peacemaking credentials, lamenting on social media that his efforts—whether between India and Pakistan or other global flashpoints—won’t earn him a Nobel nod. Yet, as he juggles meetings with world leaders and Situation Room briefings on the Iran-Israel crisis, the president remains a polarizing figure, celebrated by some and criticized by others in equal measure.

This rapid flip-flop from Pakistan underscores the volatile nature of international alliances in a region already fraught with tension. One day a hero, the next a villain—such is the tightrope of global diplomacy.