Pakistan jets escort Iran negotiators home over Israeli attack concerns

Pakistan’s air force escorted Iranian negotiators back to Iran following inconclusive peace talks with the United States last weekend, after the delegation raised concerns they could be targeted by Israel, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Pakistan deployed around two dozen fighter jets alongside airborne early warning and control aircraft for surveillance, two Pakistani sources said, Caliber.Az reports via British media.

The escort reportedly included J-10 jets, the most advanced aircraft in Pakistan’s fleet, according to one official.

One source said similar protection could be arranged for future rounds of talks if needed, adding that Pakistani aircraft would otherwise receive the delegation in Pakistani airspace. A third source involved in the talks said preparations were already being considered for another round as soon as this weekend.

The Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran’s permanent mission in Geneva also did not respond. Pakistan’s military and air force declined to comment, while the U.S. embassy in Islamabad also did not respond.

“When the talks failed, the Iranians were wary that things had not gone right. It was their suspicion that they might be targeted,” one security source said.

“This was a massive operational mission if you look at it from a pilot's point of view. You are taking responsibility for a delegation that is coming for talks, you are giving them air cover, you have potent fighters that counter any threat,” the source added.

A source involved in the talks, described as the highest-level engagement since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, confirmed the escort but gave no operational details.

“We dropped them all the way to Tehran. Their security was our responsibility even beyond their time here,” the source said.

The Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, reportedly requested the escort, according to two security sources, a protection measure that went beyond normal protocol.

A regional diplomat said the Iranians did not make a formal request but did not rule out the possibility of a threat, prompting Pakistan to insist on providing air cover. The delegation did not land in Tehran, with the final drop-off location undisclosed.

Israel had Araghchi and Qalibaf on its strike list until Pakistan asked Washington to intervene to have them removed, according to sources. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month, "I wouldn't issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of the terrorist organisation," referring to Iran. "I don't intend to provide an exact report here about what we are planning or what we are going to do."

Shortly before agreeing to a ceasefire last week, U.S. President Donald Trump posted: "A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."

By Aghakazim Guliyev