Did Pakistan quietly shield Iranian planes from America? Report sparks questions

The move came despite Islamabad projecting itself as a diplomatic intermediary between Iran and the United States.

Iran also reportedly sent civilian aircraft to neighboring Afghanistan for safety. It remains unclear whether any military aircraft were among those flights, two U.S. officials told CBS News.

According to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of national security matters, Tehran dispatched multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan — a strategically significant military installation near the garrison city of Rawalpindi — just days after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April.

Among the aircraft reportedly stationed there was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft.

A senior Pakistani official rejected the claims, telling CBS News that “Nur Khan base is right in the heart of the city. A large fleet of aircraft parked there cannot be hidden from the public eye.”

An Afghan civil aviation official also told CBS News that an Iranian civilian aircraft operated by Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before hostilities escalated and remained parked there after Iranian airspace was shut down.

However, during recent tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, when Islamabad carried out strikes inside Afghan territory, Taliban civil aviation authorities reportedly moved the aircraft to Herat Airport near the Iranian border as a precaution against possible bombing of Kabul Airport by Pakistani jets.

The official claimed it was the only Iranian aircraft left in Afghanistan.

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the report, telling CBS News: “No, that’s not true, and Iran doesn’t need to do that.”

CBS News noted that Islamabad has sought to balance both sides of the crisis, presenting itself to Washington as a stabilizing intermediary while avoiding actions that could alienate Tehran or China, Iran’s most influential international ally.

Reacting to the report, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X: “If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States, and other parties.”

“Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials toward Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true,” he added.

Meanwhile, tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high despite the ceasefire announcement.

On Truth Social, President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s counteroffer, calling it “totally unacceptable,” though he did not specify which demands had been refused.

As the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz deepens and diplomatic efforts remain stalled, oil prices climbed again early Monday, prompting UN Secretary-General António Guterres to urge restraint and warn of global consequences.

“My strong appeal is for negotiations to continue until a diplomatic solution is reached, for the ceasefire to be maintained, and for the Strait of Hormuz to remain completely open,” Guterres said.

“Any restart of the fighting would have terrible consequences.”