Washington, D.C. (Diplomat.so) - CBS News, citing US officials familiar with security files, reported that Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to be stationed at its air bases, including Noor Khan near Rawalpindi, during a period following a ceasefire announced in early April by US President Donald Trump, in what officials described as a protective measure against possible US airstrikes while Islamabad publicly positioned itself as a diplomatic mediator between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected any suggestion of operational coordination with Iranian forces, stating that the aircraft in question arrived during the ceasefire period and were not linked to any defensive or contingency military arrangements.
A ministry spokesperson said, "These aircraft are present under circumstances unrelated to joint military planning, and Pakistan maintains its neutral diplomatic posture in regional conflicts.” Officials emphasized that Pakistan’s airspace policy remains governed by civilian and defensive regulations.
In Afghanistan, a civil aviation official confirmed that an Iranian aircraft operated by Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before the escalation of hostilities and remained grounded after Iran’s airspace restrictions took effect. The official said it was later relocated to Herat near the Iranian border.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed reports of Iranian aircraft presence in Afghanistan, stating that "there is no requirement or evidence for such movements within Afghan territory,” reflecting diverging accounts between administrative and political authorities.
According to US officials speaking to CBS News, Iranian aircraft movements included the relocation of a reconnaissance RC-130 aircraft, an intelligence-modified version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, which reportedly landed at Noor Khan Air Base near Pakistan’s military hub in Rawalpindi.
The report noted that the aircraft transfers occurred days after the ceasefire announcement in April. A source speaking on condition of attribution told Diplomat News Network that such movements, if confirmed, would represent "a highly sensitive intersection of regional airspace coordination and crisis-era force protection strategies.”
The reported developments highlight the fragile security environment surrounding Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan amid shifting regional alignments. Analysts note that the use of third-country bases, if substantiated, would raise questions about neutrality frameworks and crisis management mechanisms between nuclear-armed Pakistan and its neighboring states.
Regional observers also point to the strategic sensitivity of Noor Khan Air Base due to its proximity to Pakistan’s military headquarters in Rawalpindi, underscoring potential diplomatic implications if competing accounts of the aircraft transfers remain unresolved.
