Satellite images appear to show Iran shielding aircraft at Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Satellite images appear to show Iran shielding aircraft at Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase")
Viral images os the airbase Photograph: (X/@detresfa_)
Satellite imagery reveals an Iranian RC-130 reconnaissance plane at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Airbase, sparking US scepticism over Islamabad’s mediation role following reports of Iran sheltering military assets during tensions.
Fresh satellite imagery has added to scrutiny over Pakistan’s role in ongoing US-Iran diplomacy, with reports suggesting Islamabad may be sheltering at least one Iranian military aircraft at the strategically important Nur Khan Airbase near Islamabad.
The images, reportedly sourced from Chinese satellite firm Mizarvision, appear to show an Iranian Air Force C-130 aircraft parked near a hangar at the Nur Khan Airbase, also known as Chaklala Airbase, in Rawalpindi. The military installation lies within the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan region, roughly 10 kilometres from central Islamabad.
The development comes as Pakistan continues to publicly position itself as a mediator between Tehran and Washington amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The satellite imagery appears to support an earlier report by CBS News, which claimed Iran had moved several aircraft to Pakistan shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in April. According to the report, the aircraft included reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering planes transferred to Nur Khan Airbase.
Latest satellite images indicate that at least one of the aircraft may still be stationed at the facility. Defence observers noted that the aircraft visible in the images carries a desert camouflage paint scheme distinct from the Pakistan Air Force’s standard light grey colour scheme used on its own C-130 fleet. Analysts believe the aircraft may be an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft.
Iran’s C-130 fleet dates back to the 1970s during the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the aircraft remained in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. Due to decades of US sanctions, Tehran has been unable to procure new C-130 aircraft and has instead relied on domestic repairs and overhauls to maintain the ageing fleet. The reported presence of Iranian military aircraft at a Pakistani airbase has sparked reactions in Washington, particularly among Republican lawmakers.
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‘I don’t trust Pakistan’
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham sharply questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a mediator between Iran and the US. “I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them,” Graham said while referring to reports that Iranian aircraft may have been parked at Pakistani military bases. He added that if the reports proved accurate, Washington might need to look for “somebody else to mediate” in discussions with Tehran.
“No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere,” Graham further remarked while discussing the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Neither Pakistan nor Iran has officially commented on the latest satellite imagery reports.
