Pakistan's Multi-Front Diplomatic Pressure: Iranian Aircraft at Nur Khan Draws US Scrutiny as Afghan Demarche Response Awaited

May 12, 2026 (Day 76 of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq): Reports emerged on May 12 that Pakistan had allowed Iranian military aircraft to operate from PAF Base Nur Khan near Rawalpindi as part of Pakistan's mediation role in the US-Iran conflict, drawing a sharp reaction from US Senator Lindsey Graham and creating a secondary diplomatic pressure track for Islamabad. The Nur Khan development illustrates the multi-dimensional strategic environment Pakistan is navigating simultaneously: managing the active Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against Taliban-supported TTP in Afghanistan, absorbing international criticism for the Dangam civilian airstrike (May 5), processing the Taliban's formal rejection of its Bannu demarche (May 12), mediating between the US and Iran, and managing US concerns about Iranian military access to Pakistani bases — all while COAS Munir has signaled the fight against TTP facilitators will continue 'until its logical conclusion.' This context is directly relevant to the Af-Pak conflict's trajectory: the Pakistani security establishment's bandwidth is finite. Managing US concerns over Iran access may constrain Islamabad's ability or willingness to resume large-scale military operations against Taliban-controlled territory in Afghanistan in the near term, even as TTP mass-casualty attacks on Pakistani security forces continue.