PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Islamabad, May 12, 2026. For Pakistan, the week began with a CBS News report that hit like a diplomatic bomb: Iranian military aircraft, including an RC-130 reconnaissance plane, had reportedly been stationed at Nur Khan base during the April ceasefire, shielded from American strikes. Satellite images published by NDTV appeared to confirm the aircraft's presence.

Islamabad's response was swift but cautious: the Foreign Ministry called the report 'speculative and misleading', explaining that several aircraft — Iranian and American — had arrived in Pakistan during the ceasefire to support the movement of diplomatic personnel and security teams during the Islamabad talks. 'There is no link with any military contingency or permanent presence.'

But Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, at a congressional hearing, asked the question directly to Secretary Hegseth: 'If Pakistan allowed Iranian military aircraft to use its bases, is that consistent with its mediator role?' And before the cameras, Graham was unambiguous: 'I don't trust them.' These statements immediately circulated in Pakistani media, creating internal pressure on an administration already strained by its contradictions.

Pakistan is playing an extraordinarily difficult game. As official mediator between Washington and Tehran — it transmitted Iran's counter-proposal to the White House on May 11 — it must simultaneously maintain the trust of both parties. Its geographical position (border with Iran, historical ties with Washington via military aid, commercial relations with China) makes it an indispensable but vulnerable actor. China, for its part, is pressing Islamabad to intensify mediation efforts, which Wang Yi explicitly requested during his call with Ishaq Dar on May 12.

Iran and Pakistan have both declared that the Nur Khan revelation was an attempt to 'undermine efforts to maintain peace'. Iran relayed Pakistan's position via IRNA, presenting the CBS report as disinformation. A facade of solidarity that barely conceals the real tensions between two states with partially divergent interests in this crisis.