Senator Questions Pakistan's Role in U.S.-Iran Mediation After Aircraft Reports

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.

Earlier incidents involved attacks on three American Navy destroyers transiting the strait and subsequent U.S. strikes on two Iranian ports.

Pentagon officials updated Congress this week on the military campaign. The cost of the Iran conflict has risen to $29 billion, up from a $25 billion estimate provided two weeks earlier, due to repair and replacement of equipment plus general operational expenses.

Officials told lawmakers the military maintains flexibility with plans to escalate, retrograde or shift assets as needed. They emphasized the goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The senator praised the administration’s strikes for degrading Iran’s military and missile program.

He contrasted them with what he described as failed Obama-era efforts to restrain the Islamic regime. His comments reflect broader skepticism among lawmakers from both parties about Pakistan’s mediating role. Islamabad has deepened military and economic ties with both China and Iran while attempting to maintain relations with Washington.

>"The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement. Taliban officials denied any Iranian aircraft were present. Defense officials appeared before congressional committees this week both to brief on Iran developments and to support a $1.5 trillion defense budget request.

The senator’s remarks add to questions about whether new intermediaries may be needed if current mediation efforts stall further.