politics
Senator Questions Pakistan's Role in U.S.-Iran Mediation After Aircraft Reports
A Republican senator raised doubts about Pakistan's neutrality as a mediator in the U.S.-Iran conflict after reports that Tehran sent military aircraft to a Pakistani air base shortly after a ceasefire took effect in early April. Pakistani officials denied any effort to shield Iranian assets and said the planes arrived for diplomatic purposes during the truce period.
May 12, 7:01 AM·3m read6 sources
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A South Carolina Republican senator cast doubt Tuesday on Pakistan's ability to serve as an impartial mediator between the United States and Iran, citing reports that Pakistan allowed Iranian military aircraft to use one of its bases. The senator pointed to accounts that Tehran sent multiple aircraft, including a reconnaissance variant of a C-130, to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan outside Rawalpindi days after the early April ceasefire announcement.
He said such actions, if confirmed, suggested Pakistan was helping insulate Iranian military assets from potential U.S. strikes. “I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw ’em,” the senator told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense. ” They stated the aircraft arrived during the ceasefire period, not amid active hostilities, and were intended to facilitate movement of diplomatic personnel and security teams for possible future talks.
A senior Pakistani official told CBS News that a large fleet at Nur Khan base in the heart of a city could not be hidden from public view. The country's foreign ministry added that Pakistan has acted as a transparent and impartial facilitator with all parties.
The reports emerged from U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity. They described the aircraft movements as part of an apparent Iranian effort to protect remaining military and aviation assets even while Pakistan publicly positioned itself as a diplomatic conduit.
The ceasefire, which produced early success in reducing open conflict, has not led to a lasting agreement. Vice President J.D. Vance visited Islamabad as part of talks that have so far failed to yield durable peace. The president said Monday that the ceasefire is on “life support” after he rejected Tehran’s latest proposal.
That proposal included demands for U.S. war reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and removal of American sanctions. Small-scale clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to reports citing the United Arab Emirates, which said Iranian drones again targeted its territory.
