Pakistan rejects claim that the US Navy is operating from its territory against Iran

Pakistan's government on Sunday 18 October rejected social media posts claiming that the US Navy is operating from Pakistani territory against Iran with Islamabad's approval, calling the claim fabricated.

The denial came from the fact-check account of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on X, Business Recorder reported. The ministry said the claim was "fabricated propaganda by a North America-based account" that was then spread further, and that it was "baseless and part of wider agenda of sowing confusion, misperceptions and chaos". It ended its post with: "Truth Prevails over Falsehood."

What the claim said

Posts circulating on social media said US naval forces were using Pakistani territory for operations against Iran and that Pakistan had approved it. The ministry did not name the account it traced the claim to, beyond saying it was based in North America. No evidence for the claim has been published by any government or reputable outlet.

Why it is landing now

The denial came hours after Pakistan temporarily suspended trade across its border with Iran in Balochistan. Chagai Deputy Commissioner Bakhtiar Ismail said on X on Saturday that "trade through the Iran border has been temporarily suspended due to security reasons" and that "the border will be opened as soon as effective measures are in place." Traders have warned of heavy losses. Our earlier story has the details: Taftan border trade suspended.

The wider region is tense. The war between the US and Iran has spread to shipping around the Strait of Hormuz and to the Yemen front, and claims about which countries are helping which side have spread quickly online.

How to check a claim like this

• Look for an official statement: the Foreign Office, ISPR or the information ministry's fact-check account.
• Check whether two reputable outlets report it on their own, not just repeat a viral post.
• Be wary of screenshots with no link, and of accounts that post only about one conflict.

Pakistan's position, as stated by the ministry, is that the claim is false. If the government or the US says anything further, we will add it here.

What it means for you

The Iran border closure matters more to most readers than the online claim: LPG and other goods that come over the Taftan crossing feed prices in Balochistan and beyond. Follow fuel and LPG moves on our petrol price today page and the dollar rate.