Trump Backs Pakistan as Mediator, Brushes Off Report of Iranian Aircraft at Nur Khan Base
President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed reports that Washington was looking for a new mediator in the Iran-US talks, and once again praised Pakistan’s top leadership. “They’re great. I think the Pakistanis have been great. The field marshal and the prime minister of Pakistan have been absolutely great,” Trump told reporters, referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The remarks came in direct response to a CBS News report claiming Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military and surveillance aircraft to park on its airfields during the Islamabad talks in April 2026. According to the report, American officials alleged that Tehran deployed multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi, including an Iranian Air Force RC-130 — a reconnaissance variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The US and Iran had met in Islamabad on April 11 for a roughly 15-hour session but failed to reach a deal.
The report drew sharp reaction on Capitol Hill. US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, pressed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and top US general Dan Caine about the CBS findings during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. Both officials declined to comment, citing the sensitive state of the ongoing talks. Graham was blunt: “I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me maybe we should be looking for somebody else to mediate. No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere.”
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Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry categorically rejected the framing of the report while confirming the aircraft’s presence. In a statement, Islamabad said the Iranian aircraft “arrived during the ceasefire period” and that their presence “has no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement.” The ministry said the aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of further rounds of engagement, and that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s subsequent visit to Islamabad was “facilitated through the existing logistical and administrative arrangements.”
On the broader Iran-US situation, a ceasefire between the two sides is currently holding but has not translated into a formal agreement. Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal, calling it “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” Tehran had responded to a 14-point proposal sent by Washington in the first week of May. In late April, Iran had forwarded a three-stage proposal through Pakistan, which Washington also rejected. The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by both sides.