President Donald Trump affirmed on Tuesday that he is not reconsidering Pakistan’s involvement as a mediator in the ongoing Iran conflict. This statement came in response to comments from Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Republican ally, who expressed skepticism about Islamabad’s role. Senator Graham had referred to reports suggesting that Pakistan had allowed Iranian military aircraft to station at its airfields, allegedly shielding them from potential U.S. air strikes.
Pakistan, on its part, has stated that both U.S. and Iranian aircraft were present in Islamabad to assist with logistical operations ahead of ceasefire discussions. Some aircraft remained on site in anticipation of further negotiations, but the Pakistani government clarified that their presence was not indicative of any “preservation arrangement.” During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Senator Graham remarked, “I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them,” and suggested the U.S. might need to find another mediator if the allegations were true.
However, President Trump seemed to dismiss these concerns later that day. When asked whether the U.S. should reconsider Pakistan’s role in mediating the conflict, he responded positively about Pakistan’s performance. “No, they’re great,” Trump said to reporters, praising Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for their contributions.
In Washington, Pakistan’s embassy redirected inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which reiterated that the Iranian aircraft currently stationed in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and were not part of any military or preservation strategy. The ministry emphasized in a statement that suggestions otherwise are “speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context.”
According to unnamed U.S. officials, it was reported that shortly after President Trump announced the ceasefire on April 7, Iran dispatched several aircraft to Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Force Base near Rawalpindi. This development has fueled ongoing discussions about Pakistan’s role in the Iran-U.S. mediation process.