Pakistani airbase used to shield Iranian aircraft from US strikes: Report

Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park at one of its key airbases during the recent conflict between Iran and the United States, according to American officials cited by CBS News, even as Islamabad publicly projected itself as a diplomatic intermediary between Tehran and Washington.

US officials familiar with the matter said Iran moved several aircraft, including military assets, to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi shortly after a ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump in early April. Among the aircraft reportedly stationed there was an Iranian Air Force RC-130 reconnaissance plane, a surveillance variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity over national security concerns, said the aircraft movements appeared aimed at protecting Iran’s remaining aviation and military assets from potential American strikes as regional tensions escalated.

Reacting to the report, US Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X, “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 defence officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true,” Graham added.

Iran also reportedly moved civilian aircraft into neighbouring Afghanistan. According to two US officials, it remains unclear whether military aircraft were included in those flights.

However, a senior Pakistani official denied the allegations involving Nur Khan Air Base, telling CBS News that such activity could not remain hidden because the base is located in a densely populated urban area.

An Afghan civil aviation official told CBS News that a Mahan Air aircraft landed in Kabul shortly before hostilities began and remained there after Iranian airspace was closed. The aircraft was later shifted to Herat Airport near the Iranian border after Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan raised fears that Kabul airport could become a target.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed reports of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan, stating that Tehran had no need to relocate planes there.

The developments highlighted Pakistan’s delicate balancing act during the Iran-US crisis. Islamabad has maintained close ties with Washington while also avoiding moves that could alienate Tehran or China, Iran’s key international ally and Pakistan’s largest arms supplier.

According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, China accounted for nearly 80 percent of Pakistan’s major arms imports between 2020 and 2024. Beijing has also publicly praised Pakistan’s role in facilitating indirect communication between Tehran and Washington.

Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and the United States continued despite the ceasefire announcement. Iran reportedly demanded US war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of American sanctions as part of a proposal to end the conflict, according to Iranian state media.

Trump publicly rejected Tehran’s counteroffer, calling it “totally unacceptable”, though he did not specify which demands were rejected.

Fresh clashes were reported around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, with the United Arab Emirates accusing Iran of launching drones toward its territory. Reuters reported that Iranian drone attacks targeted the UAE after several earlier strikes in the week.

Last week, CBS News reported that three US Navy destroyers passing through the Strait of Hormuz came under attack, prompting American strikes on two Iranian ports near the strategic waterway.

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