Pakistan, which was attempting to mediate peace talks to end the US-Iran conflict, allowed several Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields to shield them from American airstrikes, according to a report. This revelation has raised serious questions about Islamabad's neutral stance, with US Senator Lindsey Graham calling for a "complete re-evaluation of the country's role as a mediator."
Details of the Report
US officials speaking on anonymity told CBS News that days after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April, Tehran sent multiple aircraft to Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase. Among the military hardware was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft.
Pakistan's Response
While attempting to deny the report, Pakistan inadvertently admitted that Iranian military planes were indeed parked on its soil. The Pakistan foreign office issued a statement saying, "Following the ceasefire and during the initial round of the Islamabad Talks, a number of aircraft from Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams and administrative staff associated with the talks process. Some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of subsequent rounds of engagement." The statement further added, "The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement."
US Senator's Reaction
US Senator Lindsey Graham questioned Islamabad's role and called for a complete re-evaluation of the country's actions as a mediator. In a post on X, he said, "If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties. Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true."
Additional Claims and Denials
The report also claimed that Iran had parked its civilian aircraft in neighboring Afghanistan to protect them from US airstrikes. However, Taliban's chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the presence of any Iranian airplanes in Afghanistan, telling CBS News, "No, that's not true and Iran doesn't need to do that."
