According to US officials, when Pakistan established itself as a diplomatic medium between Tehran and Washington, it tacitly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park at its airports, keeping them safe from US air strikes. This claim has been made in an American media report.
Iran also sent civilian planes to neighboring Afghanistan so that they could be parked there. Two officials told US media that it was not clear whether any military aircraft were involved in those flights.
US media wrote that these activities clearly indicated that Iran was trying to protect some of its military and aviation assets from the escalating conflict, at the same time as officials were publicly playing the role of mediator to reduce tensions.
Tehran sent several planes to Noor Khan base
Days after President Trump announced a cease-fire with Iran in early April, Tehran sent several aircraft to Pakistan Air Force’s Noor Khan Base, U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity told CBS News. The base is a strategically important military base located just outside the Pakistani cantonment city of Rawalpindi.
This military equipment also included an RC-130 aircraft of the Iranian Air Force; It is a reconnaissance and intelligence gathering special version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft.
Pakistan denied the allegations
A senior Pakistani official rejected these claims related to Noor Khan Air Base, telling CBS News, “Noor Khan Base is located right in the middle of the city; it is impossible to hide such a large fleet of aircraft parked there from the public eye.”
On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming the presence of Iranian aircraft in the country. “The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived here during the ceasefire period, and have no connection with any kind of military emergency or security arrangement. All allegations to the contrary are mere speculations, which are misleading as well as completely divorced from the actual facts,” the statement said.
The ministry said that these aircraft from Iran are present here with the aim of facilitating the movement of diplomatic personnel and security teams if another round of peace talks is scheduled in the future. “Although formal talks have not yet resumed, high-level diplomatic dialogue continues,” the statement added. The ministry also said that Pakistan has consistently played the role of an impartial mediator throughout the incident, and has maintained complete transparency with all parties concerned.