Iran War Shocker: Pakistan Admits Shielding Iranian Military Aircraft In Nur Khan; Did Shehbaz Backstab Trump?

New Delhi: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) admitted that Pakistan reportedly shielded Iranian military aircraft to use its airfields as parking, possibly protecting them from Israeli and American attacks, even though it served as a diplomatic link between Tehran and Washington during the peak of the U.S.-Iran war.

According to reports cited by CBS News, Tehran also parked several of its commercial aircraft in neighbouring Afghanistan; it was unclear if those flights included military aircraft. The revelation has immediately cast a shadow over Pakistan’s role as a primary mediator in the conflict, with critics in Washington asking a pointed question: Did Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif backstab President Donald Trump?

The "Safe Harbour" Allegations

According to the report, an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed-produced C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft, was among the military equipment shipped to Pakistan. The planes were flown to Nur Khan Airbase just days after President Trump declared a ceasefire with Iran in early April, according to US sources. 

Tehran relocated numerous key defence assets to Pakistan Air Force Base in Nur Khan, situated just outside Rawalpindi, according to sources. While Pakistan formally mediated truce efforts between Tehran and Washington, the strategically significant military installation near Islamabad provided Iran a secure shelter to safeguard its military and aviation assets.

The US believes that the transfer of civilian and military assets to Afghanistan and Pakistan was Tehran's attempt to protect some of its remaining military and aviation assets from possible American and Israeli strikes, even though officials openly acted as mediators for a de-escalation.

Pakistan’s Defence: "Temporary Logistical Support"

Facing mounting pressure, Pakistan released an official statement on May 12, 2026, attempting to reframe the narrative. While the government rejected the sensationalised claims about a military preservation arrangement, it confirmed the planes' presence under a different pretext.

"Several aircraft from Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel associated with the Islamabad Talks," the MoFA statement read. “ Some aircraft remained in Pakistan temporarily, anticipating more talks.” The ministry further clarified that while formal negotiations have paused, these aircraft are currently parked in Pakistan strictly for administrative and logistical purposes related to the peace process, rather than any military contingency.

Washington’s Fury: A "Complete Re-evaluation"

Despite Islamabad’s efforts to characterise the jets' presence as routine, the political fallout in the United States has been swift. The report has triggered a massive backlash in Washington, with US lawmakers questioning Islamabad's neutrality in the mediation process. Lindsey Graham, a key ally of President Trump, called for an immediate and complete re-evaluation of the US-Pakistan relationship.

Taking to X, he wrote, "If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete re-evaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States, and other parties," he wrote in a post. "Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defence officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true," Graham added.

What Have Pakistan and Afghanistan Said?

Neighbouring Afghanistan accepted that an Iranian civilian aircraft belonging to Mahan Air was parked at Kabul airport for a while during the war. An Afghan civil aviation official told the American publication that Iranian civilian aircraft landed in Kabul shortly before the war started and remained parked there for a while because the Iranian airspace was closed amid conflict. 

They said the same aircraft was later shifted to Herat Airport near the Iranian border for safety reasons after Pakistan launched attacks on Kabul in March during tensions with the Taliban-led government over allegations of the Afghan Taliban offering a haven for the terror group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The Afghan official added that the Mahan Air plane was the only Iranian aircraft present in the country. The Taliban's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, also denied the presence of any Iranian aeroplanes in Afghanistan. "No, that's not true, and Iran doesn't need to do that," he said in a statement to CBS.

The Road Ahead

The timing of this admission is particularly perilous for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Just weeks ago, he was hailed for facilitating the Islamabad Peace Talks, in which Vice President JD Vance led a large negotiating team.  If the Trump administration views this as a double game, presenting as a peacemaker while providing a physical shield for Iranian warplanes, Pakistan could face severe diplomatic sanctions or a total withdrawal of US support.

As the West Asia truce remains on life support, the world is watching to see if this sensational turn of events will lead to a permanent fracture in the long-standing, yet often turbulent, alliance between Washington and Islamabad.

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