Pakistan has categorically rejected a CBS News report regarding the presence of Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase, calling it misleading, speculative and sensationalised.
The Foreign Office said the aircraft were in Pakistan as part of logistical arrangements linked to Islamabad talks, not because of any military contingency.
A spokesperson said the CBS News report was based on speculation and appeared aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace.
Pakistan said such narratives were detached from the factual context and did not reflect the diplomatic arrangements made during the ceasefire period.
According to the spokesperson, several aircraft from Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan following the ceasefire and during the initial round of the Islamabad talks.
These aircraft were used to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams and administrative staff associated with the talks process.
Aircraft temporarily remained in Pakistan
The Foreign Office said some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of subsequent rounds of engagement.
Although formal negotiations have not yet resumed, senior-level diplomatic exchanges have continued.
The spokesperson said visits by the Iranian foreign minister to Islamabad were facilitated through existing logistical and administrative arrangements.
Pakistan said the Iranian aircraft currently parked in the country arrived during the ceasefire period.
No link to military emergency
The Foreign Office strongly denied claims that the Iranian aircraft had any connection to a military emergency or preservation arrangement. It said assertions suggesting otherwise were speculative, misleading and entirely unrelated to the actual circumstances.
Pakistan said it has consistently acted as an impartial, constructive and responsible facilitator in support of dialogue and de-escalation.
The spokesperson added that Pakistan has provided routine logistical and administrative support where required, while maintaining transparency and regular communication with all relevant parties.
Pakistan reaffirmed that it will continue supporting sincere efforts aimed at promoting dialogue, reducing tensions and advancing regional and global peace, stability and security.
CBS News report: Pakistan's role in Iran-US talks
Pakistan has emerged as an important diplomatic link between Tehran and Washington during the conflict, while also allegedly allowing Iranian aircraft to remain stationed at its airbases, CBS News quotes US officials familiar with the matter. The officials claimed the move may have been intended to protect some Iranian military assets from potential American strikes.
The report further stated that Iran also moved civilian aircraft into neighbouring Afghanistan. However, it remains unclear whether any military aircraft were included among those flights, according to two US officials who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
According to the officials, the relocation of aircraft appeared to be part of a broader Iranian effort to safeguard remaining military and aviation resources amid the escalating conflict, even as diplomatic efforts for de-escalation continued publicly.
The officials alleged that shortly after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April, Tehran transferred multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi, a key military installation.
Among the aircraft reportedly present was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, an intelligence and reconnaissance version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
A senior Pakistani official denied the allegations regarding Nur Khan Airbase, saying the base is located in a densely populated urban area and that “a large fleet of aircraft parked there could not remain hidden from public view.”
Separately, an Afghan civil aviation official told CBS News that an Iranian civilian aircraft operated by Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before the conflict began. After Iranian airspace was shut down, the aircraft reportedly remained parked at Kabul airport.
The official added that during heightened tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government, Taliban aviation authorities moved the aircraft to Herat Airport near the Iranian border as a precautionary measure.
According to the Afghan official, this was the only Iranian aircraft remaining in Afghanistan.
However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denied the claims, telling CBS News that no Iranian aircraft were being sheltered in Afghanistan and adding, “Iran doesn’t need to do that.”
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