Pakistan on Tuesday strongly rejected a report by U.S. broadcaster CBS News claiming Iranian military aircraft had been parked at the Nur Khan Airbase to shield them from potential American strikes, declaring the story “misleading and sensationalized.”
In a statement, the Foreign Office said the presence of Iranian aircraft in Pakistan was part of the diplomatic engagements and the ongoing peace efforts between Tehran and Washington following the ceasefire announced last month. It acknowledged that after the ceasefire and during the initial round of “Islamabad Talks,” aircraft from both Iran and the United States reached Pakistan to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams and administrative staff involved in the negotiations.
Some of the aircraft and support personnel, continued the statement, remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of further rounds of engagement, even though formal negotiations have yet to resume.
It further said the aircraft currently parked in Pakistan “bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement,” adding any assertions to the contrary are “speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context.”
The Foreign Office also said that Pakistan has acted as an “impartial, constructive and responsible facilitator” in efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Iran and the United States. It noted that despite the pause in formal negotiations, senior-level diplomatic contacts had continued and the recent visits of the Iranian foreign minister to Islamabad were facilitated through existing logistical arrangements tied to the talks’ process.
“Pakistan has consistently acted as an impartial, constructive, and responsible facilitator in support of dialogue and de-escalation. In line with this role, Pakistan has extended routine logistical and administrative support where required, while maintaining full transparency and regular communication with all relevant parties,” it said. “Pakistan remains committed to supporting all sincere efforts aimed at promoting dialogue, reducing tensions, and advancing regional and global peace, stability, and security,” it added.
Pakistan has played the role of mediator in talks between Tehran and Washington, both formally and through backchannel diplomacy. The CBS News report, citing unnamed U.S. officials, had claimed Islamabad quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park at Pakistani airbases. It alleged the move was intended to protect Iranian aviation assets from possible U.S. airstrikes during heightened tensions in the Middle East.