Pakistan helped Iran hide military aircraft from US, Israeli strikes – report

Despite serving as an intermediary in negotiations, Pakistan reportedly allowed Iran to hide its military aircraft during the US-Israeli airstrikes.

By World Israel News Staff

Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park at one of its air bases even as Islamabad publicly positioned itself as a diplomatic intermediary between Tehran and Washington, CBS News reported, citing US officials familiar with the matter.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security issues, said Iran sent multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, a major military installation near Rawalpindi, days after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April.

Among the aircraft was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, according to the report.

Iran also moved civilian aircraft to Afghanistan, though it was unclear whether any military aircraft were among those flights, two US officials told CBS News.

The moves appeared aimed at protecting Iranian aviation and military assets from possible US strikes as the conflict expanded.

US Central Command referred CBS News to Afghan and Pakistani officials for comment.

A senior Pakistani official denied that Iranian aircraft had been hidden at Nur Khan Air Base, saying, “Nur Khan base is right in the heart of [the] city, a large fleet of aircraft parked there can’t be hidden from [the] public eye.”

An Afghan civil aviation officer told CBS News that one Iranian civilian plane belonging to Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before the war began and remained there after Iranian airspace was closed. The aircraft was later moved to Herat Airport, near the Iranian border, after Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul raised concerns that Kabul Airport could be targeted.

The officer said it was the only Iranian aircraft left in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that any Iranian planes were in Afghanistan.

“No, that’s not true and Iran doesn’t need to do that,” he told CBS News.

Pakistan has sought to balance competing pressures during the crisis, presenting itself to Washington as a stabilizing intermediary while avoiding steps that could alienate Tehran or Beijing. China has become Pakistan’s dominant arms supplier and has also deepened cooperation with Iran.

The report comes as the US-Iran ceasefire continues to fray. Iran’s latest proposal to end the war reportedly included demands for US war reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of American sanctions, according to Iranian state media.

Trump rejected the proposal as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” without specifying which demands prompted his decision.

Small-scale clashes also continued near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The United Arab Emirates said Iranian drones again targeted its territory, according to Reuters, after several similar strikes earlier in the week.

Three US Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz came under attack, prompting US strikes on two Iranian ports near the waterway.