Islamabad, January 12, 2026: The Ministry of Information on Monday dismissed reports claiming that US fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft were conducting flights inside Pakistan in preparation for a potential strike on Iran.
The ministry said these claims originated from several social media accounts linked to India and Afghanistan, following US President Donald Trump’s comments about considering military action against Iran amid ongoing protests in the country.
According to the misinformation, the US had allegedly deployed KC-135R refueling tankers and surveillance aircraft to Pakistan, using the country as a base or corridor for stealth fighters like F-35 and F-22 to strike Iran.
The ministry clarified that US aerial operations were instead recorded in Europe and the Middle East, citing reports from global outlets including Reuters and The Washington Post, which confirmed that the Pentagon dispatched refueling aircraft to European bases, not Pakistan. “No credible outlet confirms that US KC-135R/ISR aircraft are operating in Pakistan,” the ministry said.
The statement also recalled Pakistan’s public condemnation of US strikes on Iran in June last year, including the “Midnight Hammer” raid, which involved the largest B-2 operational strike in US history, targeting Iran’s uranium enrichment and nuclear facilities.
The ministry called the claims of Pakistan’s airspace being used by the US a “reckless” and “blame-pushing” narrative, aimed at dragging the country into a US-Iran conflict without verifiable evidence.
It urged the public to avoid sharing unverified sensational military news from propaganda sources and instead rely on official channels such as the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), government ministries, and reputable defense publications for accurate information on national security matters.
