Amidst the increasing tension between America and Iran, a shocking report has come out in which, quoting American officials, it has been claimed that Pakistan has allowed Iranian military jets to stop at its airbase. It is believed that Pakistan took this step to protect Iran from US air strikes. This development has come at a time when Pakistan is presenting itself as a peacemaker or mediator between America and Iran.
According to US officials, a few days after the US-Iran ceasefire was announced in early April, Iran sent many of its aircraft to ‘Noor Khan Airbase’ in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. These aircraft especially included ‘RC-130’, which is used for intelligence gathering and surveillance. Apart from this, Iran has also sent some of its civilian aircraft to Afghanistan for security reasons, so that they can be saved from being destroyed during the war.
Pakistan has rejected these claims. Pakistani officials say that Noor Khan Airbase is located in the middle of the city, it is impossible to keep such big aircraft hidden from public view. The Taliban has also denied the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan. However, there is a lot of resentment in America regarding this report and some American senators have warned that if it proves to be true then relations with Pakistan will have to be reconsidered.
To end the war, face-to-face peace talks were held in Pakistan last month between America and Iran, but it was inconclusive. Iran had demanded compensation for war losses and an end to the blockade of Hormuz to end the war. However, US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal as completely ‘unacceptable’, dealing a blow to hopes of ending the war.
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