Pakistan has been accused of quietly allowing Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields even as it presented itself as a diplomatic channel between Tehran and Washington during the ongoing conflict with the United States.
According to a CBS News report citing unnamed US officials, Iran moved multiple aircraft to Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base, located near Rawalpindi, days after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Tehran in early April.
The report said the aircraft included an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft.
US officials reportedly believe the move may have been aimed at protecting some of Iran’s remaining military and aviation assets from possible American strikes as the conflict continued to widen.
The allegations place Pakistan in a difficult diplomatic position, given that Islamabad has been trying to present itself as a stabilising intermediary between Iran and the United States while also maintaining ties with Tehran and Beijing.
A senior Pakistani official rejected the claim that Iranian military aircraft were parked at Nur Khan Air Base, telling CBS News the base was too visible for such movements to go unnoticed.
“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,” the official said.
US Central Command declined to comment directly and referred CBS News to Afghan and Pakistani officials.
The report also said Iran sent civilian aircraft to Afghanistan, although US officials said it was unclear whether any military aircraft were among those flights.
An Afghan civil aviation officer told CBS News that an Iranian civilian aircraft belonging to Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before the war began and remained there after Iranian airspace was closed.
The aircraft was later moved to Herat Airport near the Iranian border after Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul in March during tensions with the Taliban-led government, the officer said.
According to the officer, Afghan authorities moved the aircraft out of concern that it could be damaged if Kabul Airport was hit by Pakistani jets.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that any Iranian aircraft were being hosted in Afghanistan.
“No, that’s not true, and Iran doesn’t need to do that,” he told CBS News.
The claims come as Pakistan attempts to balance competing pressures in the region. Islamabad has sought to portray itself to Washington as a partner in de-escalation, while avoiding any move that could damage its relationship with Iran or China.
China has become Pakistan’s dominant defence supplier in recent years. A Stockholm International Peace Research Institute study found China supplied about 80 per cent of Pakistan’s major arms imports between 2020 and 2024.
Beijing also has close economic and military ties with both Pakistan and Iran, and has publicly praised Islamabad’s role in facilitating indirect communication between Tehran and Washington.
The revelations come as efforts to maintain a ceasefire between the United States and Iran appear increasingly fragile.
Iran’s latest proposal to end the war reportedly included demands for US war reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and removal of American sanctions, according to Iran’s state broadcaster.
Trump publicly rejected Tehran’s counteroffer as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE”, although he did not specify which parts of the proposal he opposed.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint in the conflict, with small-scale clashes continuing on Sunday. The narrow waterway is one of the world’s most important oil routes, and any escalation there could have serious consequences for global energy markets.
The United Arab Emirates said Iranian drones again targeted its territory following earlier strikes, while CBS News reported last week that three US Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz came under attack.
The US later carried out strikes on two Iranian ports near the strait.
Trump is expected to travel to Beijing this week for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the war in Iran is likely to be raised alongside trade and Taiwan.
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