Former UN weapons inspector and ex-US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter has praised Pakistan’s diplomatic role in ongoing regional tensions, saying Islamabad remains central to efforts aimed at securing a breakthrough between Iran and the United States.

Speaking during senior anchorperson Fahd Hussain’s programme ‘Full Frame’ on Express 24/7, Ritter described Pakistan as “the only game in town” capable of helping bring the crisis toward a final resolution.

“I, first of all, want to commend Pakistan for the leadership that it has played in this,” Ritter said, adding that Pakistan’s leadership deserved international recognition for its mediation efforts. “If there ever was somebody who deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, the Pakistani leadership that has played this very essential role deserves this,” he remarked.

Ritter – who has served as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq during the 1990s and frequently comments on US foreign policy and Middle East affairs – urged the international community to support Pakistan economically and politically following the conflict.