Pakistan rejected reports Tuesday that it allowed Iranian aircraft to use its airfields amid tensions with the United States—claims suggesting the move could have shielded the planes from potential airstrikes—even as Islamabad positioned itself as a high-profile mediator between the two sides.

According to the report May 11, Tehran was also said to have possibly sent a civilian aircraft to Afghanistan during the conflict. 

Pakistan said Tuesday the CBS report was "misleading and sensationalized. Such speculative narratives appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

"Following the ceasefire and during the initial round of the Islamabad Talks, a number of aircraft from Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams, and administrative staff associated with the talks process," the ministry said before clarifying that "some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of subsequent rounds of engagement."

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The alleged Iranian asset movements had also suggested there was an effort by Iran to conceal some of its remaining aerial assets as Pakistan worked behind the scenes to broker a ceasefire between Iran and the United States.

President Donald Trump also confirmed Tuesday he was satisfied with the mediation work carried out by Pakistan, telling reporters ahead of his trip to China that they were "great."

"I think the Pakistanis have been great. The field marshal and the prime minister of Pakistan have been absolutely great," Trump clarified.

In April, Pakistan had emerged as a key mediator in efforts to de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the regional conflict.

Islamabad hosted senior delegations for talks on April 11–12 after helping secure a temporary two-week ceasefire.

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Pakistan’s position was unique, given its geographic proximity to Iran and its longstanding strategic partnership with the United States. 

Mediation efforts were led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Officials told CBS that, days after Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April, Tehran sent multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan.

Nur Khan Airbase, located near Rawalpindi, is said to be a key installation of the Pakistan Air Force and serves as a major logistical and operational hub. 

Among the aircraft reportedly moved there was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the outlet said.

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Despite initial progress between the U.S. and Iran, talks in Islamabad on April 11 ultimately collapsed. 

However, Pakistani leadership said it felt optimistic. "We are very optimistic that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

Trump also praised Pakistan’s mediating role again, stating on May 7, "Pakistan has been fantastic. And its leaders have been fantastic—the marshal and the prime minister."

As part of the next response, Trump also launched "Project Freedom" to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and to help free up shipping.

Trump's initiative to help thousands of stranded crew lasted 48 hours, with the president later acknowledging that it was halted "at the request of Pakistan and other countries," including Saudi Arabia, to avoid jeopardizing ongoing negotiations with Iran.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said Monday that if Pakistan did shelter Iranian aircraft during mediation then it would force a complete reassessment of Pakistan’s role.

"If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties. Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true," Graham said in a post shared on X.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Government of Pakistan, The White House and U.S. Central Command for comment.

Leaked remarks from Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. suggesting Washington’s "one true special relationship" is with Israel — not the United Kingdom — have sparked political backlash in London.

Sir Christian Turner reportedly told a group of British students earlier in 2026 that the United States’ one true "special relationship" is "probably Israel," not the United Kingdom, according to leaked audio first reported by the Financial Times. 

The remarks, made privately but leaked publicly during King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s high-profile visit to Washington and New York amid efforts to repair strained relations, have placed fresh scrutiny on Britain’s standing in Washington at a particularly sensitive diplomatic moment.

Turner reportedly stressed that Britain’s ties with the U.S. remain deeply intertwined, particularly on defense and security. 

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"There is a deep history and affinity between us. Particularly on defence and security, we are intertwined," according to leaked audio cited by British media. "The relationship will carry on, if you want, being ‘special,’ but I think it’s going to have to be different." 

Turner also said, according to the transcript, that Britain and Europe must "work to redefine" their relationship with Washington, particularly in terms of defense, rather than relying on a U.S. security umbrella. 

The leak comes after recent strains between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, including disagreements over Britain’s posture toward U.S.–Israeli military action against Iran. Trump previously criticized Starmer publicly, saying he was "not Winston Churchill."

An embassy spokesperson and a U.K. Foreign Office spokesperson sought to distance the government from the leaked remarks, telling Fox News Digital: "These were private, informal comments made to a group of U.K. sixth-form students visiting the U.S. in early February. They are certainly not any reflection of the U.K. government’s position."

The wide-ranging informal discussion, the spokesperson explained, focused on diplomacy and the political issues of the day that students asked questions about, stressing that the remarks were clearly never intended as on-record statements of government policy.

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Still, the controversy raises broader questions that extend beyond diplomatic optics: whether the symbolic "special relationship" between Washington and London has been eclipsed by more immediate U.S. strategic priorities, particularly Israel’s central role in American Middle East security calculations.

Barak Seener, senior fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, said Turner’s remarks reflected a hard strategic reality rather than a diplomatic blunder.

"Ambassador Christian Turner was giving a realistic assessment that echoed President Trump’s criticism of NATO, calling it a ‘paper tiger’ for not contributing to joint U.S.-Israel-led operations against Iran," Seener told Fox News Digital.

Seener pointed to his recent report, "Israel 2048: A Blueprint for an Asymmetric Geopolitical Power," arguing that Israel’s expanding military capabilities increasingly function as a force multiplier for U.S. regional interests. By contrast, Seener argued, Britain’s modern strategic value has weakened despite its historic rhetoric.

"King Charles, in his recent speech to the U.S. Congress, was forced to emphasise the U.K. and U.S.’s shared culture and history rather than recent military contributions simply because the U.K.’s naval and military capabilities have been completely hollowed out," Seener said.

He added that Charles’ invocation of past joint sacrifices "does not bear any relevance to today" given Britain’s reported refusal to allow U.S. use of Royal Air Force bases for strikes on Iran.

The White House, however, emphasized continuity over controversy, telling Fox News Digital that, "President Trump has enjoyed welcoming Their Majesties to the White House this week, including yesterday morning, when he highlighted the historic, special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

"The events of this visit are unprecedented in scope and spectacle, and the President enjoyed hosting a beautiful State Dinner yesterday evening," she added.

The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner has exposed a serious security vulnerability surrounding President Donald Trump and other senior U.S. officials, a former Defense Department intelligence officer has warned.

And with tensions between Washington and Tehran rising and ceasefire talks stalled, Andrew Badger told Fox News Digital the April 25 breach could further increase Iran’s "motivation" to target Trump and others in the administration.

"This could show that there is a vulnerability in terms of potentially accessing President Trump or senior officials," Badger said before warning of "significant vulnerabilities."

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"When you're looking at your adversary, and you're seeing weakness, it also fuels motivation," he said before claiming that "Iran has the motive to strike at senior Trump officials, including President Trump."

"Iran, which has a demonstrated history of using criminals and proxy individuals, could certainly look at this as an opportunity."

Chaos broke out at the Washington Hilton Hotel when a suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen of Torrance, California, stormed a security checkpoint and opened fire.

Trump and other administration officials were rushed out of the ballroom as law enforcement responded. Allen is currently in custody and made an initial court appearance on Monday.

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The gathering included Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, journalists and senior administration officials — a concentration of leadership that Badger said presented significant risk.

"The top three of the line of succession were at this single event," Badger noted.

He added that "eight of the nine line-of-succession officials were at this single event," warning of a worst-case scenario: "If this individual would have somehow worn a suicide vest, you could have eliminated all three of those individuals."

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"Imagine if there were multiple people. Imagine if he was wearing suicide vests. Imagine if he used some type of drone," Badger said, emphasizing the scale of potential exposure at a nonsecure venue.

The incident, he said, unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing tensions with Iran, which have escalated amid U.S. and Israeli targeting of Iranian officials and leadership.

Badger pointed to longstanding Iranian hostility tied to the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport ordered by Trump.

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"There has been a driving animus, a driving motivation in the Iranian regime — which they’ve stated publicly — to get revenge for that killing of Soleimani," said Badger, who served on the front lines of human intelligence operations, including a 2014 deployment to Afghanistan.

After Soleimani was killed, Ayatollah Khamenei warned that those responsible for the attack would face "severe revenge," adding that the death would strengthen and intensify resistance against the United States and Israel.

Badger warned that Iran and other adversaries have increasingly relied on unconventional tactics. "Iran and other state actors such as Russia have increasingly reverted to contracting criminals, or gangsters, to conduct hybrid warfare," he said.

Following the incident, Trump underscored the need for more secure venues, advocating for a dedicated White House ballroom.

"It’s got every single bell and whistle you can possibly have for security and safety... It’s really what you need," Trump said on Fox News’ "The Sunday Briefing."

World leaders across the globe swiftly condemned political violence and expressed relief that President Donald Trump was unharmed after a chaotic armed attack Saturday night disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Their responses poured in on X after a man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby of the Washington Hilton and charged toward the ballroom, where Trump, lawmakers, journalists and foreign dignitaries were gathered, prompting Secret Service agents to open fire and guests to dive under tables.

The suspect — later identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California — was taken into custody, and Trump was rushed offstage unharmed. Officials said the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held, and was taken into custody at the scene. He is expected to appear in court on Monday.

In their reactions, world leaders emphasized both solidarity with the United States and concern over rising political violence.

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French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident "unacceptable," writing that "violence has no place in a democracy" while expressing "full support" for Trump.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed that sentiment, warning against political extremism.

"No political hatred can find space in our democracies," she said, adding that democratic nations must not allow "fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and information."

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "relieved" Trump, the first lady and Vice President JD Vance were safe, stressing that violence "must be unequivocally condemned."

Leaders across Europe struck a similar tone. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "shocked by the scenes," calling the attack one that must be "condemned in the strongest possible terms," particularly given it targeted a high-profile democratic event.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was "appalled," adding that democracies must "stand together against political violence."

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte framed the incident as a broader threat to democratic systems, calling it "an attack on our free and open societies" and reaffirming solidarity with the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as an "attempted assassination," though U.S. authorities have not publicly characterized it as such, saying he and his wife were "shocked" while praising U.S. security forces for their "swift and decisive action." He also wished a speedy recovery to a police officer who was shot in a bullet-resistant vest during the confrontation.

From the Western Hemisphere, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was "relieved" all attendees were safe but called the episode a "disturbing event," while Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said simply, "Violence should never be the way."

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Argentine President Javier Milei issued one of the strongest statements, condemning what he described as a "new assassination attempt," and linking the attack to "violent rhetoric of the left all over the world." His characterization has not been confirmed by U.S. officials.

Leaders from beyond the traditional Western alliance also weighed in. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said her government "strongly condemns" the attack and emphasized that "violence is never an option," while European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas highlighted the symbolism of the venue, noting that "an event meant to honour a free press should never become a scene of fear."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised U.S. law enforcement and Secret Service agents for their "swift action" in containing the situation.

The attack marks the latest in a string of security threats against Trump since 2024 and is likely to intensify scrutiny over security protocols at major public events involving the president. It is also likely to renew conversations about rising political violence in the U.S.

Authorities say the suspect acted alone and have not yet identified a motive. FBI and local law enforcement officials descended on the suspect’s Torrance home Saturday night.