Pakistan allowed Iranian aircraft, report says

Pakistan’s problem here is not just the allegation. It’s the contradiction. Islamabad has spent weeks presenting itself as a go-between for Washington and Tehran, but a CBS News report published May 11 said Pakistan also let Iranian aircraft park on its airfields, potentially protecting them from U.S. strikes. Pakistan’s Foreign Office pushed back on May 12, calling the story misleading and sensationalized. ### What is the actual claim? The core claim is pretty specific. U.S. officials told CBS News that, days after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April, Tehran moved multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, just outside Rawalpindi. CBS said the move may have been meant to shield aircraft from possible American attacks while the conflict was still unstable. (cbsnews.com) ### Why does Nur Khan matter? Nur Khan is not some obscure strip in the desert. It is one of Pakistan’s most important military air facilities and sits near the country’s military nerve center in Rawalpindi. That matters because if Iranian aircraft were really parked there, this would not look like an accidental stopover. It would look like state-approved protection at a highly sensitive base. (cbsnews.com) ### What was the most serious detail? The detail getting the most attention is the reported presence of an Iranian Air Force RC-130. That is not just a passenger plane or a generic transport. CBS described it as a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the C-130. If that part is right, the story gets more serious fast, because it suggests military assets — not just diplomats or evacuees — were involved. (cbsnews.com) ### What does Pakistan say instead? Pakistan is not denying that Iranian aircraft were in the country at all. Its line is narrower and more tactical. The Foreign Office said Iranian and U.S. aircraft arrived after the ceasefire and during the Islamabad talks to move diplomatic personnel, security teams, and administrative staff. Some aircraft stayed temporarily while later rounds were being prepared, it said, but not as part of any military contingency or preservation plan. (cbsnews.com) ### Why is the denial phrased that way? Because Islamabad seems to be trying to keep two facts alive at once. First, yes, aircraft from both sides were around during diplomacy. Second, no, Pakistan was not secretly sheltering Iran’s military. That is a careful distinction — basically, “transit and talks” versus “protection and concealment.” The catch is that outside governments, especially in Washington, may care less about the wording than about whether military aircraft got sanctuary on Pakistani soil. (ndtv.com) ### Why is this blowing up now? Because mediator credibility is the whole game. If one side thinks the intermediary is quietly helping the other preserve military assets, trust collapses. Indian outlets amplified the CBS report quickly, and follow-up coverage said some people around Trump were already questioning whether Pakistan was presenting Iran’s position too favorably during the peace process. (ndtv.com) ### Is the claim proven? Not publicly. Right now this is a clash between named Pakistani denials and anonymous U.S. official accounts carried by CBS. But even unproven claims can do damage when they fit an existing suspicion — that Pakistan is trying to play both sides at once because it wants influence in Washington without rupturing ties with neighboring Iran. That broader balancing act is real whether this specific aircraft story holds up or not. (indianexpress.com) ### Bottom line This story matters because it turns a quiet diplomacy narrative into a test of trust. If the allegation sticks, Pakistan looks less like a neutral broker and more like a broker with a side deal. If the denial holds, Islamabad still has to explain why this became believable in the first place. (cbsnews.com)