Pakistan on Tuesday rejected reports that it let Iranian aircraft use its airfields during the U.S.-Iran crisis, calling the claims "misleading and sensationalized" and saying they distorted its peace efforts.
Islamabad said Iranian and U.S. aircraft arrived only after the ceasefire and during the first round of Islamabad talks to move diplomatic, security and administrative personnel, with some planes and support staff staying temporarily for later meetings.
The denial answered a CBS report that Tehran had moved multiple aircraft, including an RC-130 reconnaissance plane, to Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase days after Trump announced a ceasefire in early April.
Trump nevertheless said Pakistan's leaders had been "great" mediators, underscoring U.S. support for Islamabad even after April 11 talks collapsed and as a ceasefire deadline again looms.
Pakistan has become a pivotal go-between because of its proximity to Iran and ties with Washington, though Senator Lindsey Graham warned any proof it sheltered Iranian aircraft would force a reassessment of that role.
Can Pakistan be a neutral U.S.-Iran mediator while allegedly shielding Iranian military aircraft?
Is Pakistan's high-stakes mediation a genuine peace effort or a strategic power play by its military?
With a fragile ceasefire and new naval blockade, is a wider war over the Strait of Hormuz inevitable?