Did Iran secretly move warplanes to Pakistan air base after ceasefire? US officials raise concerns - What we know

Iran dispatched multiple military aircraft, including a reconnaissance plane, to a strategically important Pakistani air base in the days following the ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in early April. CBS News reported the move, citing US officials with knowledge of the matter, describing it as an apparent effort to protect Iranian military assets from further American airstrikes.

Which Pakistan Air Base Did Iran Use?

CBS News, citing unnamed US officials, reported that Iran sent the aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, a major military installation located just outside Rawalpindi, the Pakistani garrison city adjacent to the capital, Islamabad. The base is one of Pakistan's most strategically significant military airfields and serves as a hub for the Pakistan Air Force's air mobility and transport operations.

What Aircraft Did Iran Send to Pakistan?

Among the military assets reportedly flown to Nur Khan, CBS News said, was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft. The RC-130 is designed for surveillance operations, making its reported transfer to Pakistani territory a particularly notable element of the CBS News account.

US Central Command referred CBS News to Afghan and Pakistani officials for comment when contacted about the reported movements.

Pakistan Denies the Claims

A senior Pakistani official pushed back firmly against the CBS News report.

CBS News quoted the official as saying: "Nur Khan base is right in the heart of (the) city, a large fleet of aircrafts parked there can't be hidden from (the) public eye."

The denial reflects Pakistan's broader effort to manage its position carefully throughout the Iran-US conflict, presenting itself to Washington as a stabilising intermediary whilst avoiding steps that could alienate Tehran or Beijing, Iran's most powerful international backer.

Did Iran Also Send Aircraft to Afghanistan?

CBS News also reported that Iran sent civilian aircraft to neighbouring Afghanistan, though it remained unclear whether any military aircraft were among those flights, according to two of the officials cited by the outlet.

An Afghan civil aviation officer told CBS News that a civilian aircraft belonging to Iranian carrier Mahan Air had landed in Kabul shortly before the war began. After Iranian airspace was closed, the aircraft remained parked at Kabul airport.

When Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul in March during a separate period of tensions with the Taliban-led government, Taliban civil aviation authorities moved the aircraft to Herat Airport, near the Iranian border, to protect it from potential bombing of Kabul Airport by Pakistani jets. The civil aviation officer told CBS News this was the only Iranian aircraft remaining in Afghanistan.

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the presence of any Iranian aircraft in the country, telling CBS News: "No, that's not true and Iran doesn't need to do that."

US officials raise concerns

Pakistan's strategy of positioning itself as a neutral broker between Washington and Tehran appears to have generated unease within the Trump administration, following Trump's outright rejection of Iran's response to his peace overture, a response conveyed to Washington by Islamabad, which had also hosted the direct round of dialogue between the two sides.

CNN reported that individuals close to Trump have raised concerns about Pakistan's reliability as a mediator in the Iran-US negotiations. According to the report, the administration is questioning whether Islamabad has been faithfully communicating Trump's displeasure over the stalled peace process to Tehran.

CNN further reported that some officials within the administration believe Pakistan may have presented a more favourable characterisation of Iran's negotiating position to Washington than the ground reality warranted.

Pakistan's Delicate Balancing Act Between Washington, Tehran and Beijing

The CBS News report situates the aircraft movements within a broader pattern of Pakistani diplomatic manoeuvring throughout the Iran-US conflict. Islamabad has positioned itself as a back channel between Tehran and Washington, whilst simultaneously deepening its military and economic reliance on China.

A Stockholm International Peace Research Institute study found that China supplied approximately 80 per cent of Pakistan's major arms between 2020 and 2024.

CBS News noted that China has publicly celebrated Pakistan's role in facilitating indirect communications between Tehran and Washington, reflecting Beijing's own interest in managing the conflict's trajectory.

Where Do Iran-US Ceasefire Talks Stand?

Iran's latest proposal to end the war included demands for US war reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of American sanctions, according to Iran's state-run broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

Trump publicly rejected Tehran's counteroffer, describing it as "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE," without specifying which elements prompted his rejection. CBS News reported that small-scale clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz as recently as Sunday, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) saying Iranian drones again targeted its territory following several strikes earlier in the week. CBS News also reported last week that three American Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz came under attack, with the US carrying out retaliatory strikes on two Iranian ports abutting the strait.

The US-Israel war with Iran is expected to feature prominently in Trump's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week, alongside disputes over trade and Taiwan.