• Source:JND

US Senator Lindsey Graham on Tuesday openly questioned whether Pakistan can be trusted to mediate peace talks between the US and Iran, following reports that Iranian military aircraft were allowed to stay at Pakistani air bases.

Speaking during a Senate defense hearing, Graham said the reports raised serious concerns about Pakistan’s neutrality in the ongoing Middle East tensions. The Republican senator, known for his strong national security views, suggested Washington may need to look for another mediator if the claims turn out to be true.

“I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw ’em,” Graham said. “If they actually do 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.”

Pakistan has firmly rejected the allegations, calling the reports “entirely baseless.” Officials said the aircraft in question arrived during a ceasefire period and not while active hostilities were underway, while reiterating that Islamabad remains a neutral and impartial mediator, according to the Washington Times report.

Senator Lindsey Graham asked US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth regarding Islamabad's neutrality in ongoing diplomatic efforts during a high-stakes testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The exchange focused on whether the presence of Iranian planes on Pakistani soil was "consistent with [Pakistan] being a fair mediator." While Secretary Hegseth attempted to sidestep the political friction by stating he did not want to get in the middle of negotiations, the Senator from South Carolina offered a sharp rebuttal.

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In a post on X earlier, Graham, a close political ally of US President Donald Trump, stated that he would "not be shocked" by such a move by Pakistan, citing an earlier statement from officials from Islamabad on Israel, which has strong ties with Washington.

"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 defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true," Graham stated in his post.

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CBS News reported that shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire in early April, Tehran dispatched several aircraft to the Nur Khan Airbase near Rawalpindi. This development surfaced just as Pakistan confirmed it had received Iranian peace proposals to be "shared with the US side," creating a jarring contrast between Islamabad's public diplomacy and its clandestine military cooperation.

President Trump has adopted a patient stance, asserting there was "no need to rush" negotiations while the current economic pressure remains 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," the President stated during an interview with New York's TalkRadio 77 WABC.

Discussing the ultimate objective of halting Tehran's nuclear ambitions, the President expressed absolute certainty in the outcome. When questioned if the US could prevent Iran from enriching uranium or constructing a bomb, he replied, "100 per cent. They're going to stop, and they told me, the Iranians told me... they said that we're going to get the dust." 

( With inputs from ANI )

 

 


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