You Are Certainly Not Pakistan
Seyed Mohammad Marandi is a prominent Iranian academic and political commentator. A graduate of the University of Virginia and a professor at the University of Tehran, he was born in the United States and is widely regarded as being close to the Iranian government.
While praising his country's resilience, Marandi remarked that Iran is "not Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan." Others may respond for themselves, but, Professor Marandi—you are indeed not Pakistan. There is a significant difference.
Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state; Iran is not. That alone makes a fundamental distinction.
Pakistan's nuclear capability has long served as a strong deterrent, while Iran's nuclear facilities have repeatedly come under attack. The two situations are not comparable.
When members of Iran's leadership visited Pakistan, Pakistan ensured their security throughout the visit. By contrast, the article argues that Iran has struggled to guarantee the safety of some high-profile visitors on its own soil.
The article further claims that when India attacked Pakistan, Pakistan responded in a manner that altered the strategic balance in South Asia. It contrasts this with Iran's repeated confrontations with Israel, arguing that Iran has been unable to respond with comparable effectiveness and that many of its missiles are intercepted before reaching their targets.
According to the author, Pakistan is internationally recognized as an important military power and is expanding defense cooperation with other countries, while Iran has struggled to protect some of its senior leaders from targeted attacks.
The writer also argues that Pakistan remembers and values the support it receives from friendly countries. He criticizes Marandi's remarks as inconsistent, saying that Pakistan has at times been thanked by Iranian officials but has also become the target of criticism.
The article states that during the Iran–US crisis, many Pakistanis openly expressed sympathy for Iran because of the close religious and geographical ties between the two countries. It argues that despite this goodwill, Pakistan has nevertheless become the subject of criticism from some Iranian commentators.
The author goes on to say that if Iran believes it possesses the strength reflected in its rhetoric, it should confront Israel directly instead of criticizing Pakistan. He asks rhetorically what is preventing Iran from doing so.
The article concludes by asserting that Pakistan has consistently sought unity within the Muslim world and bears goodwill toward Iran. According to the author, Pakistan represents unity rather than division, and becoming "like Pakistan" requires a commitment to bringing the Muslim world together.
A Message to Pakistanis
In the closing section, the author addresses the Pakistani public. He argues that Professor Marandi expressed his views without considering how Pakistanis or Iran's supporters in Pakistan might feel.
The writer concludes that every country ultimately pursues its own national interests and that Pakistanis should remember this reality instead of expecting other states to prioritize Pakistan's concerns over their own.
