Pakistan allowed Iran to park military aircraft at its airfields despite its role as a mediator in the conflict with the US
Washington – As Pakistan positioned itself as a liaison between Tehran and Washington, quietly allowing Iranian military jets to park at its airfields, presumably to protect them from U.S. airstrikes, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Iran has also sent civilian planes to park in neighboring Afghanistan. It's unclear whether military aircraft were among those flights, two officials told CBS News.
Together, the moves represented an apparent attempt to protect Iran's remaining military assets and aircraft from an escalating conflict, as officials publicly acted as brokers to reduce the force.
U.S. officials, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security issues, told CBS News that days after President Trump announced a ceasefire and Iran in early April, Tehran sent several planes to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, a very important military installation outside the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi.
Among the military equipment was the Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
US Central Command referred CBS News to Afghan and Pakistani officials for comment.
A senior Pakistani official denied allegations involving Nur Khan Air Base, telling CBS News, that “Nur Khan Air Base is at the heart of the [the] city, a huge aircraft carrier parked there you can't hide from [the] public eye.”
According to an Afghan aviation official who spoke to CBS News, an Iranian Mahan Air plane landed in Kabul shortly before the war began. After the closure of Iran's airspace, the plane remained grounded at Kabul airport.
Later, when Pakistan launched airstrikes in Kabul in March amid tensions with the Taliban-led government over allegations that the Afghan Taliban were providing safe haven to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan jihadist terrorist group, Taliban aviation authorities decided to move the plane to Herat Airport near the Iranian border for security reasons, possibly Kabu Airport.
According to an aviation official, this is the only Iranian plane left in Afghanistan.
Senior Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the presence of any Iranian planes in Afghanistan, telling CBS News, “No, that's not true and Iran doesn't need to do that.”
Pakistan's reliance on China for military aid has increased dramatically over the past decade. A study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute revealed that China will supply Pakistan with about 80% of major weapons between 2020 and 2024, and Islamabad also has close economic ties with Beijing.
Islamabad has tried to navigate both sides of the crisis – presenting itself to Washington as a stable mediator while avoiding steps that could alienate Tehran or China, Iran's most powerful state supporter.
China, which has deepened military and economic cooperation with Pakistan and Iran in recent years, has publicly celebrated Pakistan's role in facilitating indirect communication between Tehran and Washington.
Iran's latest proposal to end the war includes demands for the return of the US military, the recognition of Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of US sanctions, according to an Iranian broadcaster.
These conditions were revealed on the social media site of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting a day after Mr. Trump going public rejected Tehran counters the offer as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” The president did not specify which parts of Iran's proposal caused him to be rejected.
The rejection was also complicated by what seems to be a stop to the violence in name only as Mr. Trump preparing to Beijing this week for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the Iran war is expected to feature prominently as well as trade disputes with Taiwan.
Meanwhile, small clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, underscoring the weakness of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States.
The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that Iranian drones had returned to their territory following several strikes earlier in the week, according to Reuters. Last week, CBS News report that three American Navy destroyers passing through the Strait of Hormuz were attacked, and the US carried out strikes on two Iranian ports across the river.
