Washington: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, considered close to US President Donald Trump, has strongly criticized Pakistan. He demanded that Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the US and Iran be reviewed. He also cited statements by Pakistani military officials against Israel. Graham’s statement comes after reports that Pakistan sheltered Iranian fighter jets at its airbases during US-Israeli attacks. Lindsey Graham’s demand could increase tensions between Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Lindsey Graham shared an ex-post by CBS News White House reporter Jennifer Jacob, writing, “If this report is true, then Pakistan’s role as a mediator between Iran, the US, and other parties must be thoroughly reviewed.” Given some of the past statements by Pakistani defense officials regarding Israel, I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be true.
In her post, Jennifer Jacob shared a CBS News report about Iranian fighter jets being hidden in Pakistan. In it, he wrote, “Sources tell @JimLaPorta and me that when Pakistan established itself as a diplomatic channel between Tehran and Washington, it secretly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park in its country. This likely protected them from US airstrikes. Just days after Trump announced the ceasefire in early April, Tehran sent several aircraft to Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Force Base.”
He further wrote that this military equipment included an Iranian Air Force RC-130 aircraft. This is a type of Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft used for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. Meanwhile, US officials say that Pakistan often presents a more positive picture of the situation in Iran than the reality. This is why Trump’s allies are urging Pakistani mediators to be more forthright and straightforward in their discussions with Tehran.