US President Donald Trump has said that the ceasefire agreement with Iran, aimed at opening diplomatic channels to end hostilities in West Asia, was done “as a favour to Pakistan,” which he described as playing a mediating role between Washington and Tehran, while also claiming that other nations had pushed for the truce.
He also made it clear that Washington views the pause in hostilities from a position of overwhelming strength, not compromise.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from a two-day visit to China, Trump was characteristically blunt about his own reservations and said he was not initially in favour of the ceasefire but agreed due to international requests, adding that broader diplomatic pressure influenced the decision..
.
“We really did the ceasefire at the request of other nations. I wouldn’t have really been in favour of it, but we did it as a favour to Pakistan. They are terrific — the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister,” he said, offering praise for Islamabad’s diplomatic role in one of the world’s most volatile flashpoints.
When asked about whether he asked Chinese President Xi on putting pressure on Iran, Trump further suggested that the United States does not rely on external “favours” in its dealings with Iran, asserting that Washington had already “wiped out their armed forces essentially,” and hinted at possible follow-up action.
“We may have to do a little cleanup work because we had a little month-long ceasefire, but we have a blockade that’s so effective—that’s why we did the ceasefire,” he said.
Trump also downplayed asking China for assistance in pressuring Iran over the Strait of Hormuz but indicated that Beijing could still play a role, given its energy dependence on the strategic waterway.
“I’m not asking for any favours because when you ask for favours, you have to do favours in return. We don’t need favours,” he said, while adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping could independently influence Tehran.
“He can ask them to put pressure… I think he would. He’d like to see it opened up. He gets about 40 per cent of his energy from the Strait. We get none,” Trump added.
The ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was announced on April 7 after weeks of escalating tensions in the region following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Pakistan has been acting as a mediator between the two sides to facilitate a broader diplomatic settlement.
However, concerns have emerged over Pakistan’s role about the neutrality and accuracy of its communications between Washington and Tehran. As reports surfaced that Pakistan was diplomatically shaking hands with Washington as a peacemaker, Iranian military jets were reportedly landing on its soil, allegedly shielded from American surveillance and airstrikes,claims that have now challenged Islamabad’s carefully crafted image of neutrality.
According to a CBS News report, Iranian military aircraft also flew into neighbouring Afghanistan, though it remained unclear whether any of them were military assets. US officials cited in the report said the movements appeared aimed at safeguarding Iran’s remaining military and aviation infrastructure amid escalating conflict.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that days after Trump announced the ceasefire in early April, Iran sent multiple aircraft to Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base near Rawalpindi. The aircraft reportedly included an Iranian Air Force RC-130 reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering plane.
The report has triggered strong reactions in Washington, with some lawmakers calling for a reassessment of Pakistan’s role as a mediator. Senator Lindsey Graham said that if the claims are verified, they would require a “complete reevaluation” of Islamabad’s position in regional diplomacy, suggesting that trust had already been weakening in parts of Capitol Hill.
Pakistan has rejected the allegations, with a senior official telling CBS News that the claims were implausible, arguing that Nur Khan Air Base, located in a densely populated area, could not conceal such aircraft movements from public scrutiny.
The CBS report also noted that Iranian aircraft belonging to Mahan Air had earlier landed in Kabul before the conflict and were later moved closer to the Iranian border. Afghan officials denied any military involvement, while Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed the claims entirely, saying Iran had no need for such arrangements.
Islamabad’s close defence ties with China—its primary arms supplier—also add geopolitical complexity to its regional balancing act. According to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute assessment cited in the report, China accounted for nearly 80 per cent of Pakistan’s major arms imports between 2020 and 2024.
