Pakistan’s strategically vital Nur Khan Air Base has once again become the center of geopolitical controversy after a recent report alleged that Iranian military aircraft were quietly sheltered at the facility amid fears of possible American and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The claims, first reported by CBS News citing unidentified US officials, have triggered intense debate about Pakistan’s true role in the fragile diplomatic process between Washington and Tehran. Islamabad has publicly portrayed itself as a neutral mediator seeking regional stability, but the allegations suggest it may simultaneously have been assisting Iran behind the scenes.
According to the report, Pakistan allowed Iranian military aircraft to use its airfields after the ceasefire between Iran, the United States, and Israel came into effect on April 8. Among the aircraft allegedly transferred to Pakistan was an Iranian Air Force RC-130 tactical transport aircraft, which reportedly landed at Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan days after hostilities subsided.
The report further claimed that Pakistan coordinated with Afghanistan to temporarily house Iranian civilian aircraft away from potential combat zones as fears mounted over renewed attacks on Iranian infrastructure.
If proven true, the revelations could significantly complicate Pakistan’s diplomatic balancing act, particularly its efforts to maintain strong ties with both Tehran and Washington at a time of rapidly escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Pakistan has spent months projecting itself as a credible intermediary between the United States and Iran. Islamabad played an active role in facilitating backchannel communications during the recent crisis that saw the United States and Israel conduct extensive military operations against Iranian targets.
The conflict, which erupted earlier this year, involved weeks of coordinated US and Israeli strikes against Iranian military infrastructure, including air bases and tactical aviation assets belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF). Several Iranian airfields reportedly suffered extensive damage before a ceasefire arrangement was negotiated.
Pakistan’s military leadership, particularly Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, received public praise from US President Donald Trump for helping reduce tensions and encouraging negotiations.
However, the CBS allegations now threaten to undermine that carefully cultivated image.
The report suggests Islamabad may have simultaneously assisted Iran by protecting military aircraft from possible future attacks while publicly presenting itself as a neutral broker.
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham reacted sharply to the claims, stating that if the reporting proved accurate, Washington would need to “completely reevaluate” Pakistan’s role as mediator between Iran and the United States.
He also referenced earlier statements by Pakistani defense officials regarding Israel, suggesting he would “not be shocked” if the allegations were true.
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment as negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. President Donald Trump recently rejected Iran’s latest counter-proposal for a broader diplomatic settlement, calling it “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE” on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, low-intensity clashes and military posturing continue across the region, raising fears that the ceasefire could collapse entirely.
The CBS report also drew Afghanistan into the unfolding controversy.
According to an Afghan civil aviation official quoted in the report, Iran’s privately owned Mahan Air relocated aircraft to Kabul ahead of the launch of “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28, 2026. Iranian airspace had reportedly become too dangerous because of ongoing hostilities.
The aircraft allegedly remained in Afghanistan after Iranian airspace was closed.
Complicating matters further, the report claimed that during Pakistan’s cross-border strikes against Afghanistan earlier this year — launched amid tensions over Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries — Taliban aviation authorities moved the Iranian aircraft from Kabul to Herat Airport near the Iranian border to protect it from possible Pakistani air strikes.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid firmly denied the allegations, insisting that no Iranian aircraft had been stationed in Afghanistan.
“Iran doesn’t need to do that,” he said.
Islamabad has categorically denied the CBS report.
In an official statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations as “misleading and sensationalized,” accusing unnamed actors of attempting to undermine regional peace efforts.
According to the Pakistani government, the Iranian aircraft currently in Pakistan arrived only after the ceasefire and were linked to diplomatic engagements associated with ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington.
The Foreign Ministry stated that aircraft from both Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan during the initial rounds of what it described as the “Islamabad Talks,” carrying diplomatic personnel, security teams, and support staff.
It added that some aircraft remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of future negotiation rounds and denied any military preservation arrangement.
Nevertheless, the allegations have fueled skepticism internationally, especially given Pakistan’s historically close relationship with Iran and its increasingly strained relations with parts of the Western security establishment.
The renewed attention on Nur Khan Air Base has also revived memories of the devastating attacks the facility endured during the India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025.
Located in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, approximately 25 kilometers from Islamabad, Nur Khan Air Base is among Pakistan’s most strategically important military installations.
The base serves as a central hub for Pakistan’s aerial logistics, transport, refueling, and command infrastructure. Its proximity to Pakistan’s General Headquarters (GHQ) further elevates its strategic significance.
The facility came under major attack during India’s “Operation Sindoor,” launched on May 7, 2025, following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which India attributed to Pakistan-based militant groups.
The conflict rapidly escalated into four days of intense military exchanges between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
On May 10, just hours before President Trump unexpectedly announced a ceasefire, India reportedly launched precision strikes targeting several key Pakistani air bases, including Nur Khan.
According to multiple defense analyses and satellite imagery assessments published afterward, the strikes caused substantial damage to Pakistan Air Force infrastructure.
Indian forces allegedly employed precision-guided missiles and drones against critical assets at Nur Khan, including aircraft hangars, command facilities, fuel storage units, drone infrastructure, and operational centers.
Reports also indicated that an Il-78 aerial refueling tanker and a C-130 Hercules aircraft suffered damage during the strikes.
Perhaps most significantly, a large crater was reportedly created on the runway, forcing temporary closure of the base.
Pakistan initially downplayed or denied the extent of the damage. However, satellite imagery released in the aftermath appeared to confirm extensive destruction.
A report by the Observer Research Foundation stated that the strikes destroyed advanced mobile command-and-control systems jointly developed with Türkiye and equipped with AI-based battlefield decision-support tools.
The think tank further claimed that hangars housing Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 drones were hit, with Pakistan allegedly losing dozens of drones worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The report also asserted that at least one Il-78 tanker aircraft became inoperable.
The attack on Nur Khan was widely viewed as a major embarrassment for Pakistan’s military establishment.
Defense analysts argued that the strikes exposed vulnerabilities in Pakistan’s air defense network, including Chinese-origin HQ-series surface-to-air missile systems deployed to protect critical infrastructure.
Months later, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar publicly acknowledged that Indian drone and missile attacks had indeed targeted the base.
He stated that India launched around 80 drones within a 36-hour period, while also confirming that Nur Khan Air Base was struck during the escalation.
Since then, Pakistan has reportedly launched extensive repair and fortification efforts at the installation.
Recent satellite imagery analyzed by geo-intelligence expert Damien Symon showed large-scale construction activity underway at the base, including what analysts believe are hardened aircraft shelters and reinforced infrastructure intended to reduce vulnerability to future aerial attacks.
The construction work is believed to be aimed not only at restoring damaged facilities but also at enhancing survivability against advanced surveillance and precision-strike systems.
The latest controversy involving alleged Iranian aircraft could now create fresh diplomatic complications for Islamabad.
Pakistan has spent the past year trying to improve ties with Washington following the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and broader regional instability.
Its leadership has attempted to position the country as an indispensable diplomatic actor capable of engaging simultaneously with the United States, China, Iran, the Gulf states, and Afghanistan.
However, suspicions that Pakistan may have covertly assisted Iran militarily — even in a limited logistical capacity — could undermine trust in Washington and among US allies, particularly Israel.
At the same time, the controversy underscores Pakistan’s difficult geopolitical reality.
Sharing a long border with Iran, maintaining close military ties with China, managing tensions with Afghanistan, and confronting ongoing rivalry with India, Pakistan operates in one of the world’s most volatile strategic environments.
For now, no conclusive public evidence has emerged confirming the CBS allegations.
Yet the mere suggestion that Iranian military assets were sheltered at Nur Khan Air Base has once again thrust one of Pakistan’s most sensitive military facilities into the global spotlight — and once again, for deeply uncomfortable reasons.
