Pakistan’s credibility as a mediator between the United States and Iran has come under scrutiny after a CBS report alleged that Islamabad quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to station at its air bases, potentially shielding them from possible U.S. airstrikes.
CBS cited “U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter” and also reported that Tehran had positioned civilian aircraft in neighboring Afghanistan. The report did not confirm whether military aircraft were also stationed there.
According to CBS, Iran transferred several aircraft, including an Iranian Air Force RC-130 reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering planes, to Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base days after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in early April.
The Iranian Air Force RC-130 is an American-built aircraft dating back to the pre-1979 revolution era and has reportedly remained operational through domestic maintenance and overhauls despite longstanding U.S. sanctions.
Confusion and confirmation
A senior Pakistani official initially denied the allegations, telling CBS that Nur Khan Air Base sits within the heavily populated Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area and that any foreign military aircraft stationed there would be difficult to conceal from public view.
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However, on May 12, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that Iranian aircraft were present in the country.
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The ministry’s spokesperson said the aircraft were being used to transport diplomats and security personnel connected to possible future peace negotiations, noting that senior-level diplomatic contacts had continued despite the absence of formal talks.
“The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement. Assertions suggesting otherwise are speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context,” the statement said, adding that Pakistan remains impartial as a mediator.
Following the CBS report, the presence of the Iranian Air Force RC-130 at Nur Khan Air Base was further supported by satellite imagery released by Chinese firm MizarVision, as well as additional imagery sourced from Vantor and cited by New Delhi Television.
Analysts reviewing the satellite images said the Iranian aircraft appeared camouflaged in desert colors, while Pakistan’s own C-130 aircraft were painted light gray. The aircraft was reportedly located in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, roughly 10 kilometers from central Islamabad.
Questions over Pakistan’s mediator role
Reports of Iranian aircraft at a Pakistani military base have drawn criticism from U.S. lawmakers and commentators, raising questions about Islamabad’s neutrality in efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran.
The issue surfaced during a Senate hearing Tuesday, when Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham questioned Pakistan’s credibility if the allegations prove accurate.
“I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually do have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me we should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate,” Graham said, according to Fox News.
“No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere.”
Earlier, Graham also reacted to the CBS report in a post on X, calling for a reassessment of Pakistan’s role if the claims are verified.
“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,” he said.
“Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true.”
The CBS report also highlighted Pakistan’s growing strategic ties with China, noting that Beijing has significantly expanded military and economic cooperation with both Pakistan and Iran over the past decade.
Citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the report said China supplied approximately 80 percent of Pakistan’s major arms imports between 2020 and 2024.
“China, which has deepened military and economic cooperation with both Pakistan and Iran in recent years, has publicly celebrated Pakistan’s role in facilitating indirect communications between Tehran and Washington,” the report said.
Despite the controversy, President Trump praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts while speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
“I think the Pakistanis have been great. The field marshal and the prime minister of Pakistan have been absolutely great,” he said ahead of his China trip.
