India’s firm stand exposes the US double play
After years of projecting himself as the global peacemaker, US President Donald Trump has dropped all pretenses. Following a 35-minute phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—just before his scheduled meeting with Pakistan’s new Army Chief General Asim Munir—Trump appears to have pivoted from peacemaker to warmonger. The man who promised to end America’s “forever wars” is now officially on a warpath, with Iran in the crosshairs.
In that call, PM Modi reportedly made it crystal clear: India does not accept third-party intervention in regional matters. The so-called US role in “preventing war” between India and Pakistan is fiction. The real story: after Pakistan’s DGMO begged for a ceasefire following targeted Indian missile strikes, India agreed—on its terms, not under any US pressure. That’s the kind of muscular foreign policy the world must get used to from a self-assured India under Modi.
What followed Trump’s meeting with the Pakistani general is equally disturbing. Rumours suggest that the US is eyeing Pakistani soil as a possible launchpad for operations against Iran, which it believes is close to acquiring nuclear weapons—allegedly with support from China and Russia. The real US aim? To prevent a nuclear-armed Iran from threatening Israel, the only Jewish state in the Middle East.
Ironically, the US has been hesitant to back Israel openly in its conflict with Iran. Why? Possibly due to the fallout from earlier debacles, particularly the Iraq invasion. America’s failure to justify the ousting of Saddam Hussein, once no weapons of mass destruction were found, still haunts Washington. Trump, always sensitive to optics, may want to avoid a similar backlash.
That hasn’t stopped him from flexing his military muscle. US warships and aircraft are already in motion. Trump has publicly warned Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: Sign the nuclear agreement or face devastating consequences. The tone is unmistakable—this is no longer diplomacy; this is coercion, backed by military might.
Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly counting on Russian support, even as Saudi Arabia quietly urges de-escalation. China, usually vocal in backing Iran and other rogue regimes, has gone silent, perhaps calculating its next geopolitical move.
In this volatile mix, India has stayed consistent and principled. While maintaining cordial ties with Iran due to its strategic interests in developing the Chabahar port, India’s sympathy is clearly with Israel, especially in the fight against Islamist terrorism. Reports indicate that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Modi amid the strikes, though the contents of that conversation remain undisclosed.
But one thing is certain: India’s foreign policy under Modi puts national interest first, unapologetically. The days of balancing for the sake of appeasement are over. Whether it is taking the fight to Pakistan after Pehalgam or calling out fake peace narratives spun by foreign powers, India has signalled it won’t be used as a pawn in others’ geopolitical games.
Now the ball is in Trump’s court. Will he go all in against Iran and back Israel decisively? Or will he attempt to play both sides—using Pakistan while claiming to protect peace? The stakes are high. Any misstep could trigger a wider conflict and even threaten American soil eventually.
Israel has made it clear: its problem is not with the Iranian people but with the regime led by Khamenei, whom they believe has brought ruin to his nation. Should Israel succeed in eliminating this ideological fulcrum, some believe lasting peace in the Middle East may finally be possible.
India, too, has taken a similar resolve. After Operation Sindoor, New Delhi warned that any future misadventure by hostile neighbours will be met with irreversible consequences. The global fight against terrorism appears to be nearing its climax. But for it to end meaningfully, the United States must stop playing double games. Half-measures and strategic ambiguity will not work anymore.
If Trump truly wants to be remembered as a strong leader, now is the time to choose: back democratic allies like India and Israel, or continue appeasing failed states and regimes that sponsor terror.
