Pakistan's Foreign Office on May 12, 2026 rejected a CBS News report claiming Iranian military aircraft, including an Iranian Air Force RC-130 reconnaissance variant, were stationed at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi during the US-Iran conflict. Pakistan stated the aircraft arrived after the early April 2026 ceasefire to support the Islamabad Talks between Iran and the US, providing routine diplomatic logistics with no military contingency linkage.
Pakistani denial of CBS report
- ▪Pakistan's Foreign Office rejected a CBS News report claiming that Islamabad quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields as misleading and sensationalised on May 12, 2026
- ▪CBS News claimed that an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft, was among the military hardware at Nur Khan Air Base
- ▪CBS News alleged that Tehran sent multiple aircraft to the Nur Khan Air Base days after US President Trump announced the ceasefire with Iran in early April 2026
- ▪Pakistan's Foreign Office stated that speculative narratives in the CBS News report appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace
Iranian aircraft logistics explanation
- ▪Visits by the Iranian foreign minister to Islamabad were facilitated through existing logistical and administrative arrangements related to the Islamabad Talks
- ▪Aircraft from Iran and the US arrived in Pakistan following the ceasefire to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams and administrative staff associated with the Islamabad Talks
- ▪The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage to any military contingency or preservation arrangement, according to Pakistan's Foreign Office
- ▪Some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of subsequent rounds of engagement in the Islamabad Talks
Pakistan's mediator role
- ▪Pakistan acted as a facilitator in the Islamabad Talks between Iran and the US following the ceasefire announced in early April 2026
- ▪Pakistan extended routine logistical and administrative support for the Islamabad Talks while maintaining full transparency and regular communication with all relevant parties
- ▪Formal negotiations in the Islamabad Talks have not yet resumed as of May 12, 2026, though senior-level diplomatic exchanges have continued
CBS editorial bias allegations
- ▪Bari Weiss is a self-declared Zionist fanatic and vocal supporter of the administration's war on Iran, according to The Guardian
- ▪Shayndi Raice, a Wall Street Journal editor, was brought in as CBS's new foreign editor and is more aligned with Bari Weiss's pro-Israel agenda, according to sources cited by The Guardian
- ▪Shayndi Raice had a reputation as much more sympathetic to the Israeli perspective than the Palestinian one, according to a former colleague quoted by The Guardian
- ▪Bari Weiss, CBS's new boss, ousted a veteran bureau chief following tensions over coverage of the Middle East, according to The Guardian reporting in April 2026
Perspective of Pakistan Foreign Office
- ▪The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage to any military contingency or preservation arrangement, according to Pakistan's Foreign Office
- ▪Pakistan's Foreign Office stated that speculative narratives in the CBS News report appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace
Perspective of CBS News
- ▪CBS News alleged that Tehran sent multiple aircraft to the Nur Khan Air Base days after US President Trump announced the ceasefire with Iran in early April 2026
- ▪CBS News claimed that an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft, was among the military hardware at Nur Khan Air Base
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