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Deccan Herald
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Trump, Pak in a tactical embrace
The recent visits by Pakistan's top military leadership to the United States – first by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, followed closely by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu – have introduced a new and unexpected dimension to South Asian geopolitics. These engagements have sparked widespread speculation about a possible recalibration of the US-Pakistan relationship, particularly as the visits were not ceremonial but substantive, involving high-level discussions across the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and the State Department. For India, this development merits scrutiny, as it could carry far-reaching implications for regional security and strategic lunch with President Donald Trump marked the first time a serving Pakistani army chief without political power was hosted at such a level in Washington. That Sidhu's visit followed soon underscores a coordinated effort by Pakistan's military establishment to revive its old ties with Washington, just as India-Pakistan tensions escalate following the Pahalgam terror attack. The pattern suggests more than diplomatic routine – it indicates a deliberate campaign by Islamabad to reassert its relevance in US strategic of the key drivers behind this effort is Pakistan's growing frustration with the performance of Chinese-supplied defence systems – their critical vulnerabilities were exposed during India's Operation Sindoor. This experience has spurred Islamabad to seek Western military technology and support, and to lobby for advanced US weaponry, including F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, HIMARS rocket systems, and modern air defence platforms. Sidhu's meetings in Washington involved discussions on joint operational training, technology sharing, and expanded defence cooperation. While on the surface the outreach appears tactical, it is underpinned by deeper strategic logic on both US has often engaged with Pakistan transactionally, reviving ties when operational constraints demand it. This pattern held during the Cold War, post-9/11 counterterrorism campaigns, and during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Now, as tensions escalate with Iran, Washington may be looking again to Pakistan – not only for its proximity to critical theatres, but for logistical support, regional intelligence, and airspace India, this emerging closeness between Washington and Islamabad presents several challenges. First, it risks diluting the special strategic partnership it has cultivated with the US over the past two decades. Hosting Pakistan's military chiefs around the same time as India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's Washington visit generates dissonant optics and raises uncomfortable questions about the US commitment to its South Asia a resurgent Pakistan, empowered with new military platforms and emboldened by perceived US endorsement, could become more aggressive in Kashmir or along the Line of Control. Third, the re-engagement risks legitimising Pakistan's well-worn strategy of diplomatic duplicity – maintaining close ties with both the US and China while extracting military and economic concessions from both. While Pakistan projects a narrative of stability and counterterror cooperation in Washington, its deep state continues to support militant groups that destabilise the this is Trump's controversial claim, which India denied, that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, using trade incentives and diplomatic leverage. Any revival of the external intervention rhetoric on Kashmir is bound to be met with stiff resistance from India, both politically and current US outreach to Pakistan must also be viewed in the broader context of regional power plays involving Iran. With a possible confrontation looming between the US-Israel axis and Tehran, Washington may be seeking Islamabad's cooperation or at least its neutrality to manage backlash in the Muslim world. In this sense, the South Asian pivot is not just about India or Pakistan, but also about the strategic theatre of West through this lens, Trump's embrace of Pakistan is not sentimental, but grounded in hard geopolitical calculus. It reflects a long-standing US tradition of engaging Pakistan when expedient, even if it risks undermining deeper, more values-based partnerships with India. The US has often treated South Asia not as an end in itself, but as a means to achieve broader objectives in other regions – whether in Afghanistan, Iran, or must take note. New Delhi should step up its diplomatic outreach in Washington, reaffirming its role as a reliable, rules-based, and capable partner in the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, it must be prepared for a more competitive neighbourhood, where an emboldened Pakistan, potentially backed by both Beijing and Washington, reasserts itself militarily and politically. The current developments underscore that in South Asia, old patterns in global power politics often resurface when least expected. India would do well to prepare for this strategic turn with clarity, caution, and resolve..(The writer is an associate fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses)
India Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Kanwar Yatra nameplate diktat: Unholy segregation or holy practice? Big debate on Gaurav Sawant's show
A controversy has erupted over orders by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments requiring food stalls along the Kanwar Yatra route to prominently display the names and licences of owners. Opposition parties have criticised the move as religious profiling, while the BJP has defended it as a measure to allow pilgrims to make informed choices. The orders have sparked a debate on religious sentiments, food preferences during pilgrimages, and concerns over vigilantism. Critics argue it could lead to segregation and targeting of minority-owned businesses, while supporters say it enables transparency for pilgrims observing dietary restrictions. Also on the show, Colonel John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, discusses India's Operation Sindoor. Spencer analyzes India's changed doctrine towards terrorism, emphasising an immediate and overwhelming response while avoiding nuclear escalation. He highlights India's strategic messaging, targeting of terrorist sites, and the performance of indigenous weapons systems compared to Pakistan's Chinese-supplied equipment. Spencer also discusses the importance of integrated military capabilities and the continued relevance of ground forces in modern warfare alongside advanced technologies.
India.com
26-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Days after Operation Sindoor, bad news for Pakistan as China rejects request for hypersonic missiles due to...
China has reportedly refused to supply hypersonic missiles to Pakistan. (File) China Hypersonic Missiles: In another major setback for Pakistan's military ambitions after the drubbing it received at the hands of Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor, China, its 'all-weather ally' and largest weapons' supplier, has reported turned down Islamabad's request for the supply of Chinese-made hypersonic missiles, and transfer of technology for indigenous manufacturing of the same. Why China turned down Pakistan's request for hypersonic missiles? According to media reports, China fears that Pakistan could allow Western experts to examine Chinese-made advanced missile systems, amid the Islamabad's recent bonhomie with the West, especially the United States. Another reason is the concern over the poor performance of Chinese-supplied weaponry by Pakistan in the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Citing sources, defense website Indian Defence Research Wing (Idrw) said that China has informed Pakistan that its has not developed export variants of its hypersonic missiles, nor are the existing ones– such as the DF-17 equipped with hypersonic warheads– cleared for export, which makes the technology off-limits, at least for the time being. Beijing has also rejected Pakistan's transfer of technology request for hypersonic missiles, which would have allowed Pakistan to indigenously manufacture these advanced missiles, reducing the country's dependence on defense imports, the report said. China's hypersonic technology is meant for strategic deterrence Notably, China manufactures dedicated export variants for most of its defense products, including fighter jets, air defense systems, and missiles, but has not done so yet for its advanced hypersonic missiles. Currently, China has no downgraded or export variant of its hypersonic missile systems, which aligns with Beijing's broader policy of restricting the proliferation of its most advanced strategic weapons, especially those that could have the capability to alter regional or global power dynamics. China is among the few nations to have developed and mastered hypersonic technology, and sees it as a critical component of its strategic deterrence, particularly against the United States and its allies. Experts believe that China refuses to export these strategic weapons, even to a close ally like Pakistan, as it could invite international scrutiny and escalate tensions with rival powers. Its also been suggested that China's hypersonic capabilities are still in its nascent stages, and needs more development before its ready for mass production and deployment. Pakistan wants hypersonic tech to counter India Meanwhile, Pakistan is rapidly expanding its weapons' arsenal, especially its missile systems to counter India's rapid advancement in missile technology, especially the development of indigenous hypersonic and ballistic missile systems. By acquiring Chinese hypersonic missiles, Pakistan wants to close the technological gap with India, which has developed domestic hypersonic capabilities like the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). According to a recent US intel report, Pakistan's military power and economy are completely dependent on China, which is a major concern for South Asia as Beijing is likely to use any future India-Pakistan conflict as a testing ground for its weapons, such as fighter jets, air defense systems, and missiles. Around 80 percent of Pakistan total defense imports come from China, the report said.
News18
15-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Israel Attacks Iran's Three Key Nuclear Facilities: The Extent Of Damage Explained
Last Updated: An Israeli military official said at a briefing on Saturday that strikes on Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan were able to damage the sites 'significantly' Israel targeted three key Iranian nuclear facilities – Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow – and a number of top scientists involved in nuclear research and development. An Israeli military official said at a briefing on Saturday that strikes on Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan were able to damage the sites 'significantly". Iran has maintained that damage to the facilities was limited. 'We are at a key point where if we miss it, we will have no way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons that will threaten our existence," Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday. The strikes destroyed the above-ground part of Natanz's Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, a sprawling site that has been operating since 2003 and where Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Weapons-grade uranium is enriched to 90%. Electrical infrastructure at Natanz – including the main power supply building, plus emergency and back-up generators – was also destroyed, the IAEA said. As much of the Natanz facility is heavily fortified and underground, wiping out the power to those parts of the facility is the most effective way to impact underground equipment and machinery. It does not appear that Israel damaged those underground parts of the plant directly, the IAEA said, but the loss of power to the underground cascade hall 'may have damaged the centrifuges there". Natanz has six above-ground buildings and three underground buildings, two of which can hold 50,000 centrifuges, according to the non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). Centrifuges are machines that can enrich uranium by spinning the gas at high speeds. 'The level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels," the IAEA said. 'However, due to the impacts, there is radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities in Natanz," it added – though the levels would be manageable. ISFAHAN Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesperson of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said Saturday that damage at the site – Iran's largest nuclear research complex – was limited. Equipment at the two facilities was moved in anticipation of the strikes, Kamalvandi said. A shed at the facility caught fire, he added, and there is no risk of contamination. But Israel were more bullish; an IDF official said during a Saturday briefing that the site took significant damage. The facility was built with support from China and opened in 1984, the NTI said. According to the non-profit, 3,000 scientists are employed at Isfahan, and the site is 'suspected of being the center" of Iran's nuclear program. It 'operates three small Chinese-supplied research reactors," as well as a 'conversion facility, a fuel production plant, a zirconium cladding plant, and other facilities and laboratories," the NTI said. At a Saturday briefing, an IDF official said Israel had 'concrete intelligence" that Iran was 'moving forward to a nuclear bomb" at the Isfahan facility. Despite advancing its uranium enrichment significantly, Iran has repeatedly said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and denied that it was developing an atomic bomb. FORDOW The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is a far more difficult site to target. The plant is buried deep in the mountains near Qom, in northern Iran, and houses advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium up to high grades of purity. Israel targeted the site during its Friday attacks, but the IAEA said it was not impacted and the IDF has not claimed any significant damage there. Iranian air defenses shot down an Israeli drone in the vicinity of the plant, Iranian state media Press TV reported Friday evening. Fordow's fate could be pivotal to the overall success of Israel's attacks. In 2023, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that uranium particles enriched to 83.7% purity – which is close to the 90% enrichment levels needed to make a nuclear bomb – had been found in Fordow. 'If Fordow remains operational, Israel's attacks may barely slow Iran's path to the bomb," James M. Acton, the co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on Friday. top videos View all Acton said Israel might be able to collapse the entrance to the facility, but noted that destroying much more of the Fordow site will be a difficult task for Israel. With CNN Inputs About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : israel iran Israel Iran tension Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 15, 2025, 18:19 IST News explainers Israel Attacks Iran's Three Key Nuclear Facilities: The Extent Of Damage Explained
India.com
15-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
If Pakistan attacks again, India can now defend with..., India's S-400 air defence system is now...
S-400 Called Sudarshan Chakra S-400 air defence system upgrade: After the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed twenty-two people in India and was linked to Pakistan, India responded with Operation Sindoor, killing more than a hundred terrorists across nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. India also destroyed several of Pakistan's airbases including the famous Nur Khan airbase during the recent tensions between the two countries, highlighting the inefficiency of the Pakistani Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence systems. However, Pakistan tried to attack India again but failed to do any harm due to India's S-400 air defense system. In the recent update, India is now reportedly upgrading the famous Russian supplied S-400 air defense system. India plans to upgrade S-400 air defence system As told earlier, India's S-400 air defense system protected India against the missile attack by Pakistan in which it reportedly used Chinese CM-400AKG missile but in order to upgrade it, the Indian Air Force is now planning to deploy indigenous quick-reaction systems like VL-SRSAM and QRSAM, developed by DRDO, to enhance close-range protection. These systems, with ranges of up to 80 km and 30 km respectively, feature advanced radar and integration capabilities India to get remaining S-400 missile systems by 2026 In a significant development for India, Russia has announced that it is committed to delivering the remaining units of the S-400 air defence system to India by 2025-2026. The country's Deputy Chief of Mission in India, Roman Babushkin, recently said that the system performed 'very efficiently' during the recent India-Pakistan tensions. Babushkin also hinted at expanding bilateral cooperation with India in air defence and anti-drone systems, as per a report by PTI. Babushkin confirmed that the contract for the remaining two S-400 units is on track, with deliveries expected to be completed by 2025-26, in line with publicly announced timelines. India signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five squadrons of the S-400 Triumf missile system, a state-of-the-art air defence platform capable of engaging multiple aerial threats at long ranges. Three squadrons have already been delivered. On the potential expansion of defence collaboration, Babushkin expressed openness to further dialogue. (With inputs from agencies)
