Pakistan Denies Sheltering Iranian Aircraft as US-Iran Truce Frays

Pakistan on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, rejected allegations that it sheltered Iranian military aircraft from potential United States strikes, as the ceasefire it helped broker between Washington and Tehran showed signs of strain.

The denial followed a report on Monday, May 11, that Iran moved several military aircraft, including an RC-130 reconnaissance plane, to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi after an April 8 ceasefire, potentially shielding them from U.S. attacks.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the report “misleading and sensationalised,” saying the aircraft arrived as part of diplomatic logistics linked to U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad on April 11. Officials said both Iranian and U.S. aircraft used the base during the ceasefire period.

“The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement,” the ministry said. It added that Pakistan had “consistently acted as an impartial, constructive and responsible facilitator” in the talks.

Ceasefire pressure grows after Trump rejects Iran proposal

The dispute over aircraft movements came as U.S. President Donald Trump said the month-old truce was on “massive life support” and dismissed Iran’s latest peace proposal as “a piece of garbage,” according to the article.

Iran’s proposal, delivered via Pakistan, was reported to include demands for U.S. war reparations, full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of frozen assets, while deferring nuclear negotiations to a later stage.

Trump rejected those terms, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned of a “lesson-giving response to any aggression,” the repoSources said.

Islamabad defends mediator role amid questions in Washington

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry also argued that any significant foreign military presence at Nur Khan would be difficult to conceal, calling contrary assertions “speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context.”

The article said the denials did little to ease concern in Washington, where some officials questioned whether Islamabad was conveying Tehran’s position accurately and whether it was pressing Trump’s objections forcefully.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham called for “a complete reevaluation” of Pakistan’s role as mediator and said he “would not be shocked” if the aircraft report proved accurate.

Analysts quoted in the repoSources said the controversy was unlikely to significantly damage Pakistan’s position as long as both Washington and Tehran continue to rely on Islamabad to facilitate contacts.

Further signals on the ceasefire’s durability are expected to hinge on whether the two sides resume substantive talks, and whether any revised proposal emerges through Pakistan’s mediation.