Pakistan allowed Iran to park military aircraft on its airfields despite mediator role in conflict with US
Washington — Ace Pakistan Positioned itself as a diplomatic conduit between Tehran and Washington, it quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, doubtlessly shielding them from American airstrikes, in accordance to US officers with data of the matter.
Iran additionally despatched civilian aircraft to park in neighboring Afghanistan. It was not clear if military aircraft have been amongst these flights, two of the officers instructed CBS News.
Together, the actions mirrored an obvious effort to insulate a few of Iran’s remaining military and aviation belongings from the increasing conflict, whilst officers publicly served as brokers for de-escalation.
The US officers, who all spoke solely beneath situation of anonymity to focus on nationwide safety points, instructed CBS News that days later President Trump announced the ceasefire with Iran in early April, Tehran despatched a number of aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, a strategically essential military set up positioned simply exterior the Pakistani garrison metropolis of Rawalpindi.
Among the military {hardware} was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft.
US Central Command referred CBS News to Afghan and Pakistani officers for remark.
A senior Pakistan official rejected the claims involving Nur Khan Air Base, telling CBS News, that “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.”
According to an Afghan civil aviation officer who spoke to CBS News, an Iranian civilian aircraft belonging to Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly earlier than the warfare began. After Iranian airspace was closed, the aircraft remained parked in Kabul airport.
Later, when Pakistan started airstrikes on Kabul in March throughout tensions with the Taliban-led authorities over allegations that the Afghan Taliban was providing a protected haven for the jihadist militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Taliban’s civil aviation authorities determined to transfer the aircraft to Herat Airport close to the Iranian border for security causes, to shield it from attainable bombing of Kabul Airport by Pakistani jets.
According to the aviation officer, this was the one Iranian aircraft left in Afghanistan.
Taliban’s chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denied the presence of any Iranian airplanes in Afghanistan, telling CBS News, “No, that’s not true and Iran doesn’t need to do that.”
Pakistan’s reliance on China for military help has risen dramatically over the previous decade. TO Stockholm International Peace Research Institute study confirmed China provided about 80% of Pakistan’s main arms between 2020 and 2024, and Islamabad additionally has shut financial ties with Beijing.
Islamabad has tried to navigate each side of the disaster — presenting itself to Washington as a stabilizing middleman whereas avoiding steps that would alienate Tehran or China, Iran’s strongest worldwide backer.
China, which has deepened military and financial cooperation with each Pakistan and Iran in current years, has publicly celebrated Pakistan’s role in facilitating oblique communications between Tehran and Washington.
Iran’s newest proposal to finish the warfare included calls for for US warfare reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and the removing of American sanctions, in accordance to Iran’s state-run broadcaster.
The circumstances have been disclosed in a social media put up by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting a day after Mr. Trump publicly rejected Tehran’s counteroffer as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” The president didn’t specify which components of Iran’s proposal prompted his rejection.
The rejection has additional strained what appears to be a ceasefire in identify solely as Mr. Trump prepares to travel to Beijing this week for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the place the warfare in Iran is anticipated to function prominently alongside disputes over commerce and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, small-scale clashes continued across the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States.
The United Arab Emirates said Sunday that Iranian drones once more focused its territory following a number of strikes earlier in the week, in accordance to Reuters. Last week, CBS News reported that three American Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz got here beneath assault, with the US finishing up strikes on two Iranian ports abutting the strait.
