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Of Nobel Prizes, Crypto Deals & Iran: India Must Harden Redlines Against Trump's Pakistan Pivot
US President Donald Trump has taken the world on a rollercoaster ride — one filled with impulsive declarations, erratic diplomacy, and an insatiable hunger for credit. Imagine this: a patient keeps falling sick repeatedly, but routine diagnoses reveal nothing conclusive. Eventually, it's discovered that the patient had been ignoring a tumour, hoping it would remain benign, and focused instead on a gym routine and a good diet to advance his health. But suddenly, the tumour develops its own blood supply and metastasises — triggering full-blown cancer. That's the warning sign flashing over the India-US relationship. Pakistan is more than a mere irritant in the carefully-crafted India-US relationship. Ignoring it is no longer an option. It's time to draw firm and non-negotiable red lines. And no, crypto sales and Nobel Prizes should not come in the way. US President Donald Trump has taken the world on a rollercoaster ride — one filled with impulsive declarations, erratic diplomacy, and an insatiable hunger for credit. With reckless ceasefire announcements and glaring conflicts of interest, Trump's actions are shaking up alliances, undermining hard-won diplomatic achievements, and jeopardising America's relationship with one of its most important partners: India. Fast forward to today: after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Esfahan, and Natanz — Iran retaliated by targeting US bases in Qatar, Syria, Iraq, and Bahrain. The attacks were fended off with ease. Then came another Trumpian moment. And even though the theatre this time was in the Middle East, it gave India Deja Vu. Trump abruptly declared a 'total and complete ceasefire" between Iran and Israel on social media. But within hours, the two were bombing each other again. Trump was left furious — so much so that he reportedly dropped the F-bomb. In a Truth Social post, Trump publicly warned Israel: 'ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!" An hour later, he bizarrely claimed Israel would not strike Iran and that Israeli jets would return while doing a 'friendly plane wave" to Iran. The image of Israeli fighter jets waving to Iran in midair — while still over enemy territory — is surreal. Israel, for its part, insisted that Trump was well aware of their plans all along. So who's telling the truth? Trump's way of doing things is not easy to decode. The goalposts keep shifting. The mood keeps changing. And no one, not even friends and allies are safe from his antics. One thing that remains consistent is the desperation for credit — inserting himself into blood-feuds of foreign lands, negating their sensitivities and fishing for praise. It's an enigmatic display of narcissism where decades long conflicts turn into theatres of vanity. A Pattern of Narcissism: Blood Feuds as Vanity Projects This is the story of a president whose foreign policy is increasingly seen as performance art — a series of theatrics designed to position himself at the centre of global flashpoints. According to insider reports, the coverage of Israeli strikes on Iran on Fox News reportedly inspired Trump's decision to launch the B2 bomber strikes on Iran. So it wasn't about strategy. It was about airtime. He repeated this pattern in the Indian subcontinent. Trump inserted himself into the India-Pakistan conflict — falsely presenting a fragile understanding between the two nations as a US-brokered ceasefire. He ignored the reality that India's military pressure had forced Pakistan to the table, not American diplomacy. The Desperate Pursuit of a Nobel One thread tying Trump's chaotic interventions together is his obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize. In a post, Trump mentions a number of conflicts that Trump is unhappy he did not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his intervention in various conflicts. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize…," he laments multiple times. Pakistan has turned this Trumpian obsession into an opportunity. After meeting Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, Pakistan floated the idea of nominating Trump. It struck the right chords. This week, US Congressman 'Buddy" Carter nominated Trump for the Nobel — citing the supposed Iran-Israel ceasefire and Trump's claim of preventing Iran from going nuclear. Ironically, on the same day, a Ukrainian lawmaker withdrew his nomination for Trump, disillusioned with his failure to end the Russia-Ukraine war — something Trump had repeatedly claimed he could do 'in one day." India Pushes Back: Red Lines and a Reality Check Trump's meddling has had real diplomatic costs. His ceasefire claims robbed India of credit for its military victory. He even suggested mediating in Kashmir — a red line India has upheld for decades by rejecting third-party interference. Trump also claimed he used trade pressure to force India and Pakistan to the table. India's Ministry of External Affairs had to issue multiple rebuttals: No US role in the ceasefire, no room for mediation and no trade discussions tied to de-escalation ever happened. Despite these statements, Trump continued with his narrative. When he skipped the second day of the G7 and called Prime Minister Modi instead, it seemed like damage control. But this came at the exact time Asim Munir was also in Washington. The blatant disregard for Indian sensitivities had crossed all bounds. Munir, India has reason to believe, is the man responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack — and yet Trump has repeatedly played into his hands — making the conflict about the question of Kashmir and not what it really is — Pakistan sponsored terrorism. PM Modi was not having it any more. In a 35-minute phone call, he flayed Trump's narrative to his face. No US role in the ceasefire. It was entirely an Indian military achievement. No prospects of mediation. And no mention of trade. This was India setting the record straight directly with the President, leaving no room for further deniability or confusion. PM Modi shattered the Trumpian narrative with precision. Trump's Dangerous Pakistan Play Trump's growing closeness to Pakistan — particularly its military — poses a threat to India-US relations. Pakistan remains tactically important in the context of Iran— with talk of Pakistan possibly aiding the US in a war with Iran with access to its bases. Pakistan is a US partner in so-called counterterror operations against the ISIS-Khorasan. And theoretically, the US seeks to wean Pakistan off of its dependence on China. It is even more concerning because this is the same Trump that in her first term lashed out at Pakistan for backing terror and cut military aid to it. The president's volte-face from that to calling Asim Munir, an unelected military dictator, a great leader, is a giant red flag that reeks of mischief and malice. Perhaps most concerning is the financial link. A firm majority-owned by Trump's family, World Liberty Financial, is in business with the Pakistan Crypto Council, a newly launched initiative backed by Munir and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif. The firm's founder, Zachary Witkoff, son of Trump ally Steve Witkoff, signed the partnership days after the Pahalgam attack. Pakistani media reports that unorthodox methods were used by Munir to land a meeting with Trump— which ultimately took place in the presence of Steve Witkoff. So Trump now has business ties with Pakistani leaders and it is having a direct impact on how the US government deals with Pakistan, even with regards to India. The implications are dangerous. This is foreign policy compromised by personal financial interests. And it's playing out at the cost of India's security concerns. India must now double down on its red lines to preserve the integrity of its relationship with the US: No weapons supply to Pakistan. Firm action against Pakistani terrorism. No third-party comments on Kashmir. No meddling in the Indus Waters Treaty. No interference when India strikes terror camps across the border. No hyphenation between India and Pakistan. Trust must be rebuilt. Trump's antics have eroded years of careful diplomacy. Future trade deals and Indo-Pacific cooperation must be conditional on America respecting these principles. There are already signs of strain. The much-anticipated India-US trade deal has hit roadblocks. Trump's forceful negotiating style and his problematic stand on Pakistan have derailed progress. India is not willing to play along when its national security and diplomatic credibility are at stake. India is a rising great power. The Indo-US relationship is one of the most consequential of this century. And yet, Trump's pursuit of a Nobel Prize and crypto riches threatens to derail it. With the Quad Summit coming up in India later this year, it's time for Trump — and the US foreign policy establishment — to recalibrate and put diplomacy back in the hands of diplomats. top videos View all Because the future of global stability should not be determined by a president's ego or business deals behind closed doors. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. About the Author Shubhangi Sharma Shubhangi Sharma is News Editor - Special Projects at News18. She covers foreign affairs and geopolitics, and also keeps a close watch on the national pulse of India. tags : donald trump finepoint India-US relations Nobel Peace prize view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 26, 2025, 14:31 IST News opinion Of Nobel Prizes, Crypto Deals & Iran: India Must Harden Redlines Against Trump's Pakistan Pivot | Finepoint Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
