WASHINGTON: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has declared that he does not “trust” Pakistan and suggested the United States should consider an alternative mediator for negotiations involving Iran, amid allegations that Islamabad allowed Iranian military aircraft to use its airbases.
The Senator’s remarks stem from reports claiming Pakistan quietly permitted Iranian aircraft to park at military facilities, potentially shielding them from possible American airstrikes. Graham sharply criticised Islamabad’s role, saying the allegations undermine Pakistan’s credibility as a neutral intermediary in ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Tehran.
“I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually do have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me we should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate. No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere,” Graham said.
Senator Lindsey Graham raised the issue with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioning whether the reported presence of Iranian aircraft on Pakistani soil was “consistent with [Pakistan] being a fair mediator.”
Hegseth avoided directly addressing the political implications, stating that he did not want to interfere in ongoing negotiations, prompting a pointed response from the South Carolina Senator.
In an earlier post on X, Graham, a close political ally of US President Donald Trump, said he would “not be shocked” if the allegations proved accurate, citing previous remarks by Pakistani defence officials concerning Israel, a key US ally.
“If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties. Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defence officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true,” Graham stated.
According to CBS News, shortly after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in early April, Tehran dispatched several aircraft to Nur Khan Airbase near Rawalpindi. The report emerged as Pakistan confirmed it had received Iranian peace proposals intended to be “shared with the US side,” intensifying scrutiny over Islamabad’s simultaneous diplomatic and military interactions with Tehran.
Pakistan has rejected the allegations, calling the reports “misleading and sensationalised.” In a formal response, the Foreign Office stated that the Iranian aircraft arrived during the ceasefire period after preliminary talks and had “no linkage” to any military contingency or protection arrangement.
The statement further alleged that “speculative narratives” were being circulated to undermine regional peace efforts.
President Donald Trump has maintained a cautious approach toward negotiations with Iran, stating there was “no need to rush” while economic pressure on Tehran remained in place.
“We don’t have to rush anything. We have a blockade which allows them no money. It’s a very simple thing: we cannot let them have a nuclear weapon — because they’d use it,” Trump said during an interview with New York’s TalkRadio 77 WABC.
Discussing efforts to halt Tehran’s nuclear programme, Trump expressed confidence that Iran would eventually halt uranium enrichment activities.
When asked whether the United States could prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, Trump replied, “100%. They’re going to stop, and they told me, the Iranians told me… they said that we’re going to get the dust.”
