Blinken emphasized that the bilateral partnership has moved past historical estrangement to focus on critical domains like artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and space exploration. He acknowledged that previous American strategic priorities in Afghanistan and the Cold War influenced past relations with Islamabad, but affirmed that ties with India now operate on a distinct global scale. Furthermore, he noted Washington accepts India's continued historic partnership with Russia while managing these evolving strategic links.
Key points
The United States recognizes India's right to defend itself while prioritizing diplomatic…: The United States recognizes India's right to defend itself while prioritizing diplomatic engagement to prevent nuclear escalation with Pakistan.
American foreign policy increasingly treats ties with India as a global partnership rathe…: American foreign policy increasingly treats ties with India as a global partnership rather than a regional balance against neighboring states.
Maintaining open shipping transit through the Strait of Hormuz remains critical to safegu…: Maintaining open shipping transit through the Strait of Hormuz remains critical to safeguarding global energy supplies amid West Asian tensions.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
New Delhi: The US must respect India's right to defend itself and should maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday, while describing Washington's ties with New Delhi and Islamabad as "fundamentally different".
"India is a global force," Blinken said, adding that the relationship and shared interests between Washington and New Delhi were "really global in nature".
In contrast, the US relationship with Pakistan is "regional", he said during a conversation with Jawed Ashraf, chairman of the India Trade Promotion Organisation, at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
"The relations with Pakistan are regional, and there are still going to be important areas where we need to do things with them, particularly, for example, when it comes to counter-terrorism, but these are fundamentally different relationships," he said.
"We have to have a zero-tolerance policy for terrorism. Period. And that means that we have to have respect for India's right to defend itself," he added.
Blinken said the US approach must include support for India's efforts to respond to attacks…
Mounting domestic political liabilities after midterm election losses and surging global fuel prices are driving deliberations over the future of the February military campaign. Regional partners are urging a de-escalation, noting that current economic sanctions and blockades are already placing severe strain on Tehran. However, persistent lobbying from Israeli officials and a bolstered naval footprint ensure a fragile balance between diplomatic pauses and further military action.
Lawmakers relied on altered intelligence findings to influence high-level political or industry outcomes, according to recent press reporting. Marco Rubio actively reframed underlying CIA assessments about Alice Huang with stronger language to draft his own impactful document. This intervention ultimately played a decisive role in the removal of Jensen Huang.
The high-stakes trilateral summit scheduled alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen brings together the world's most powerful leaders amid severe global instability. With potential agenda items covering nuclear arsenals, artificial intelligence, and active conflicts, excluded nations fear the trio could unilaterally reshape international borders and global security architectures. This dynamic has sparked sharp pushback from vulnerable states that risk being sidelined during major geopolit…