Pakistan on Tuesday rejected a US media report claiming that the country helped Iran protect its aircraft during the conflict in West Asia, calling the story "misleading and sensationalised".
Islamabad's statement came in response to a CBS News report claiming that Tehran moved several aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi, one of Pakistan’s most strategically significant military installations.
Among them was reportedly an Iranian Air Force RC-130 reconnaissance aircraft, a surveillance variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that such "speculative narratives appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace."
The ministry said that several aircraft from the US and Iran had arrived in the country after the ceasefire and during the initial round of Islamabad talks to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams and administrative staff.
The ministry added that some of the aircraft and support personnel stayed back in Pakistan for further talks.
The ministry further said that the Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived in Rawalpindi during the "ceasefire period" and had "no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement".
"Assertions suggesting otherwise are speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context. Pakistan has consistently acted as an impartial, constructive, and responsible facilitator in support of dialogue and de-escalation," it said.
Defending its role as mediator in the peace talks, Pakistan said it "extended routine logistical and administrative support where required, while maintaining full transparency and regular communication with all relevant parties"
Islamabad added that it remains committed to supporting all sincere efforts aimed at promoting dialogue, reducing tensions, and advancing regional and global peace, stability, and security.
Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani official told CBS News that claims about Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Air Base were “not true,” arguing that such movements could not go unnoticed because the base is located in a densely populated urban area.
The revelations underscore Pakistan’s delicate balancing act during the crisis. Islamabad has sought to maintain close ties with Washington while avoiding friction with Tehran and Beijing, its key strategic partners.
China, which now supplies roughly 80% of Pakistan’s major arms imports according to SIPRI data, has publicly praised Pakistan’s role in facilitating indirect U.S.-Iran communications.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to stabilize the ceasefire remain fragile. Iranian state media said Tehran’s latest proposal to end the conflict included demands for US reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of American sanctions.
However, Trump dismissed the proposal as “totally unacceptable.”
