A senior Pakistani official and aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, has revealed that during India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s military had only 30 to 45 seconds to assess whether an incoming BrahMos missile carried a nuclear warhead. The missile struck Nur Khan airbase, a vital Pakistan Air Force site in Rawalpindi, triggering panic in Islamabad and raising fears of a potential nuclear confrontation.

The missile launch came amid heightened tensions following a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 tourists dead. India responded with a large-scale precision strike, Operation Sindoor, targeting militant camps and military assets across Pakistan. Although the BrahMos did not carry a nuclear payload, Sanaullah warned that the ambiguity surrounding the missile’s nature could have led to catastrophic escalation. “Such confusion could have sparked a global war,” he cautioned. Sanaullah also credited then-U.S. President Donald Trump for allegedly playing a key mediating role during the crisis and called for an independent investigation into Trump’s involvement. India, however, denied any third-party mediation, stating it was Pakistan that initiated the de-escalation process. 

India released satellite imagery showing widespread damage at several Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan, which sustained strikes on key infrastructure such as runways, hangars, and radar systems. Other bases Sargodha, Bholari, Jacobabad, Sukkur, and Rahim Yar Khan were also hit. Indian forces claimed the offensive eliminated over 100 terrorists and destroyed significant LeT, JeM, and Hizbul Mujahideen installations. Pakistan responded with missile and drone attacks on western India, which were intercepted. After four days of intense hostilities, both nations agreed to a ceasefire. This was not the first time Nur Khan airbase was targeted by India, having also been struck during the 1971 war, underscoring its strategic significance.