A senior Pakistani politician and close aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has revealed that Pakistan’s military had only 30 to 45 seconds to assess whether a BrahMos missile fired by India during “Operation Sindoor” carried a nuclear warhead. The startling admission sheds light on the tense moments that followed the Indian strike on May 10.
“When India fired BrahMos at Nur Khan airbase, Pakistan’s military had only seconds to determine if it was nuclear. That’s a dangerous situation,” said Rana Sanaullah, special assistant to the prime minister, in a recent interview.
Pakistan begged Trump for a ceasefire after Indian Brahmos (Harmus) hit Noor Khan Airbase and Pak forces had no time to react.
– Admission of Pakistan’s defeat by Sp Assistant to Pak PM Rana Sanullahpic.twitter.com/vRnDxEwqCv
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) July 3, 2025
The BrahMos missile, a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, reportedly struck the Nur Khan airbase in Chaklala, Rawalpindi — one of Pakistan’s most critical air force installations. Sanaullah acknowledged that the incident triggered a brief but high-stakes national emergency in Islamabad, raising the spectre of nuclear escalation.
Trump’s Role in Averting Conflict and Nobel Nomination
In a surprising twist, Sanaullah credited former US President Donald Trump with helping mediate a ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan during the tense days that followed the missile strikes.
“…there could have been an atomic war. In this situation, if US President Donald Trump played a role and saved the world from disaster, then that role must be independently evaluated and so that role must be appreciated. And that’s why PM Shehbaz Sharif has nominated him [for the Nobel Peace Prize],” Sanaullah said.
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India, however, has denied any external involvement in brokering the ceasefire and maintains that no third-party mediation took place.
Just two weeks earlier, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Indian strikes targeted two strategic airbases, contradicting earlier denials from both the Pakistani government and military. These remarks mark the first official admission of the extent of India’s offensive, which reportedly damaged critical infrastructure such as runways, hangars, and underground bunkers.
The Indian side employed multiple air and ground variants of the BrahMos missile during the operation, further underlining its importance in India’s modern strike capabilities.
