Pakistan rejects shelter allegations as US-Iran ceasefire falters
Pakistan denies harboring Iranian aircraft while diplomatic efforts to salvage the month-old truce face mounting strain.
1:45 PM
Pakistan rejected allegations Tuesday that it had sheltered Iranian military aircraft from potential United States strikes, as the fragile ceasefire it helped broker between Washington and Tehran shows signs of deterioration.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement came hours after US President Donald Trump said the month-old truce was on "massive life support" and dismissed Iran's latest peace proposal as "a piece of garbage" that he had not finished reading.
Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi told TASS that Islamabad believes the threat of a full-scale war between the US and Iran is now past. "We are quite optimistic that a certain understanding will be reached between the two countries and that they will be able to bring peace to the region," Tirmizi said. "We are firmly convinced that the possibility of a full-scale war is now behind us."
Tirmizi credited Pakistan with playing a critical role in bringing the two countries to the negotiating table. "At one point the world was close to a very major catastrophe, and Pakistan continued to play its role in reducing tensions," he said.
Regarding the likelihood of renewed US military operations against Iran, Tirmizi expressed confidence that such action was unlikely. "There's always a possibility, but I think in the case of the US, the chances are minimal," he told TASS. He noted that initial operations had focused on regime change in Tehran, then shifted to nuclear issues, and have now centered on the Strait of Hormuz.
Tirmizi acknowledged that Israel might pursue further operations but said the probability of US military resumption was low. He emphasized that war requires a certain dynamic to develop and that for now, such operations have been avoided, though he could not rule out future possibilities entirely.
The ceasefire, brokered with Pakistan's mediation in April, has faced mounting pressure as negotiations stalled over competing demands from both sides. Iran has characterized its proposals as peace-seeking while describing US demands as unreasonable. The US administration has grown increasingly critical of Tehran's negotiating position in recent days.