Pete Hegseth praises Pakistan’s leadership for supporting regional peace efforts
US says India and Pakistan are not viewed as missile threats
India remains a key US partner in defence and Indo-Pacific strategy
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth used his address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday to signal a notable shift in Washington's approach to South Asia, praising Pakistan's leadership while reaffirming India's status as a central pillar of American strategy in the region.
Hegseth described the evolution in US-Pakistan relations as "an unexpected but meaningful development," crediting both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir with playing a constructive role in regional peace efforts. He said President Trump had developed a "true friendship" with Pakistan's leadership, suggesting that personal diplomatic rapport had helped drive the broader warming in ties between Washington and Islamabad.
He also pointed to Trump's role in facilitating peace efforts between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbours with a long and fraught history. "You saw that in the ability of the president to come together on brokering a peace between India and Pakistan, two nuclear capable countries," Hegseth said.
Trump has repeatedly claimed he helped secure peace between India and Pakistan following the conflict. India, however, has consistently maintained that the understanding was reached directly between New Delhi and Islamabad and has rejected claims of third-party mediation.
On the question of missile capabilities in South Asia — a subject that drew attention after former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard listed Pakistan among countries developing systems with potential reach towards the US homeland in Senate testimony in March — Hegseth said Washington does not currently view either India or Pakistan as a missile threat to the US.
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He acknowleded that both nations face legitimate security concerns from each other and are likely to continue developing deterrence capabilities accordingly.
Despite the attention given to the Pakistan relationship, Hegseth also called India a "critical anchor" in US strategy for South Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific. He praised India's ongoing military modernisation and confirmed that the two countries were advancing plans for the co-production of Javelin anti-tank guided munitions, alongside expanding cooperation in maritime security and Indian Ocean operations.
