Pakistan Allowed Iran To Park Military, Spy Aircraft While Mediating Talks: Report

Last Updated:May 12, 2026, 10:25 IST

Pakistan denied the allegations, while Taliban officials also rejected claims that Iranian aircraft were being sheltered in Afghanistan.

Despite positioning itself as a neutral party and mediator during the Iran-US conflict, Pakistan “quietly allowed" Iranian military and surveillance aircraft to park on its airfields, according to American officials quoted by CBS News. US officials told the broadcaster that Pakistan may have effectively shielded the aircraft from possible American airstrikes.

However, Pakistan on Tuesday denied the CBS News report claiming Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase were linked to military activity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan claimed the planes arrived during ceasefire talks to support diplomatic and administrative efforts involving Iran and the US. Islamabad stressed the aircraft had no military role and accused the report of spreading misleading speculation.

“Pakistan categorically rejects the CBS News report regarding the presence of Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase as misleading and sensationalized. Such speculative narratives appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace. 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," reads Pakistan Foreign Affairs post on X.

Meanwhile, Pakistan also said it remains committed to facilitating dialogue, peace and regional stability.

“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. Pakistan has consistently acted as an impartial, constructive, and responsible facilitator in supporting dialogue and de-escalation," the statement further added.

The US officials also claimed that Iran sent civilian aircraft to neighbouring Afghanistan, though it remains unclear whether any military aircraft were among those flights.

According to the report, the aircraft movements appeared to be part of a broader Iranian effort to protect its remaining military and aviation assets as the conflict escalated.

US officials further alleged that Tehran deployed multiple aircraft, including an Iranian Air Force RC-130 — a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft — to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi.

The strategically important airbase had sustained heavy damage during Operation Sindoor in 2025 and is located near Pakistan’s military headquarters.

Pakistan Rejects Claim

A senior Pakistani official denied the allegations while speaking to CBS News.

“Nur Khan base is right in the heart of [the] city, a large fleet of aircrafts parked there can’t be hidden from [the] public eye," the official was quoted as saying.

However, an Afghan civil aviation official told the broadcaster that an Iranian civilian aircraft belonging to Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before the conflict began. The aircraft reportedly remained parked at Kabul airport after Iran shut its airspace.

The Afghan official further claimed that following Pakistani air raids on Kabul in March amid tensions with the Taliban government over alleged support for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Taliban aviation officials decided to move the aircraft to Herat airport near the Iranian border for safety reasons and to avoid possible bombing of Kabul airport by Pakistani fighter jets.

According to the official, it was the only Iranian aircraft left in Afghanistan.

Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denied the claims.

“No, that’s not true and Iran doesn’t need to do that," Mujahid told CBS News.

Islamabad appeared to be walking a diplomatic tightrope — projecting itself to Washington as a mediator and stabilising force while also trying not to alienate Tehran or China, Iran’s most influential international ally.

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