Former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has accused Pakistan of continuing what he described as a long-standing “double game” in its relations with the United States, amid rising regional tensions involving Iran and Washington.

In a statement posted on social media, Khalilzad alleged that Pakistan’s military leadership may have quietly permitted Iranian military aircraft to use Pakistani airfields in an effort to avoid potential US strikes. He said that if the reports are verified, such actions would fit a broader historical pattern in Islamabad’s policies toward Washington.

“Working simultaneously with and against the US has been a pattern of Pakistani policies for the last 40 years,” Khalilzad wrote.

The former diplomat cited several examples to support his claim, including allegations that Pakistan reassured Washington it would not pursue nuclear weapons while continuing its nuclear program. He also accused Islamabad of cooperating with the United States after the September 11 attacks while simultaneously supporting militant groups fighting American forces in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad further referred to the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden, noting that the al-Qaeda leader had been found living near a Pakistani military facility before he was killed by US special forces.

The comments come as diplomatic activity intensifies across the region amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, with Pakistan increasingly viewed as a key regional actor in ongoing security and political developments.

Pakistani authorities have not publicly responded to Khalilzad’s remarks.

The ​United States’ war in Iran has cost $29 ‌billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday, an increase of $4 billion from an estimate provided ​late last month, Reuters reported.

With just six months before ​midterm elections in which President Donald Trump’s ⁠Republicans may face an uphill battle to ​keep their House majority, Democrats are riding high ​in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the war with cost of living issues.

On April 29, the ​Pentagon said the war at that point ​had cost $25 billion.

Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of ‌the ⁠comptroller, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the new cost included updated repair and replacement of equipment and operational costs.

“The joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking ​at that ​estimate,” Hurst ⁠said. He was speaking alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of ​Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan ​Caine.

It ⁠is unclear how the Pentagon arrived at the $29 billion figure. A source told Reuters in March that ⁠Trump’s ​administration estimated the first six ​days of the war had cost at least $11.3 billion, read the repor.