Pakistan, which has been playing a key role in talks between the US and Iran, quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, possibly protecting them from American strikes, a new report said, citing US officials aware of the developments.
The ceasefire between the US and Iran has mostly held since April 8. Face-to-face negotiations between the two sides, held in Pakistan last month, did not yield a deal to end the conflict that started on February 28 after the US and Israel carried out attacks on Iran. Follow US-Iran war live updates here.
On Sunday, Iran responded to a US peace proposal aimed at ending the war in West Asia, demanding compensation for war-related damage and an end to the US naval blockade. US President Donald Trump rejected the proposal, calling Iran's response “totally unacceptableâ€.
Pakistan allowed Iran to park military aircraft on its airfields: Report
Islamabad, which has acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, possibly shielding them from American airstrikes, CBS News reported, citing American officials familiar with the matter.
Iran also moved civilian aircraft to neighbouring Afghanistan. The report said it was unclear whether military planes were included among those flights.
Taken together, the aircraft movements appeared to be part of an effort to protect some of Iran's remaining military and aviation assets as the conflict expanded.
US officials, who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, said Tehran sent several aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan just days after Trump announced the ceasefire in early April. Notably, the base is a strategically important military facility located near the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi.
The aircraft reportedly included an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a surveillance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport plane.
Pakistan rejects claims
A senior Pakistani official dismissed the claims related to Nur Khan Air Base. Speaking to CBS News, the official said, «Nur Khan base is right in the heart of [the] city, a large fleet of aircraft parked there can’t be hidden from [the] public eye.»
An Afghan civil aviation officer told the media outlet that an Iranian civilian aircraft operated by Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before the war began. After Iranian airspace was shut, the aircraft remained parked at Kabul airport.
Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that any Iranian aircraft were present in Afghanistan. He told CBS News, «No, that’s not true and Iran doesn’t need to do that.»
US senator reacts to report
In response to the report, US senator Lindsey Graham said Pakistan's role as a mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties would need a “complete reevaluation†if the claims were found to be true.
“Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true,†he wrote in a post on X.
Notably, Islamabad has tried to maintain ties with both sides during the crisis. It has projected itself to Washington as a force for stability while also avoiding actions that could upset Iran or China.
