Following its humiliating defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the four-day May conflict and the embarrassing climbdown resulting in a US-brokered ceasefire, India’s diplomatic blushes seem unending.
In the aftermath of the conflict, both Pakistan and India dispatched delegations comprising members of parliament and former ministers to various world capitals to advocate their respective positions on the conflict, its resolution, and the way forward.
India’s delegation was plagued by frequent social media posts—often by Indians themselves—ridiculing its members. One member spoke in Hindi before the parliament of an African nation, while another widely circulated clip showed the main delegation, led by former Congress minister and current MP Shashi Tharoor, singing at an event. The most India could manage was a brief meeting with US Vice-President J. D. Vance, which was largely a photo opportunity for the Indian media.
In stark contrast, the Pakistani delegation engaged with several US Senators and Members of Congress. This was followed by a one-on-one lunch meeting between Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and US President Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting, lasting more than two hours, has been interpreted as a major milestone in the trajectory of US–Pakistan relations.
Soon after the lunch, the United States launched strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities. In retaliation, Iran carried out an 'attack' on the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. However, the US did not respond militarily. Instead, the US government stated that the Iranian strike had been preceded by advance warning. Following this, President Trump posted on social media that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was now in effect.
United States now views Pakistan as a significant regional actor, capable of playing a constructive role in mediating peace—not just in South Asia but also in the broader Middle East
The lunch meeting appeared to rattle India, prompting its media to run various conspiracy theories. These narratives attempted to downplay Pakistan’s standing and insinuated that Pakistan was being coerced into offering bases to the US for what was then believed to be a forthcoming attack on Iran.
This was followed, on 26 June, by a telephone call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. According to the readout released by the US Department of State, the discussion focused on the situation in the Middle East—specifically Iran and Israel. Secretary Rubio emphasised the importance of US–Pakistan cooperation in promoting durable peace between Iran and Israel and maintaining regional stability.
This conversation is a clear indication that the United States now views Pakistan as a significant regional actor, capable of playing a constructive role in mediating peace—not just in South Asia but also in the broader Middle East. It also underscores how Pakistan’s strategic handling of the May conflict with India has reshaped its geopolitical relationships with key players like the US, China, and Russia.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Defence Ministers' meeting in China, India refused to sign the joint statement released at the conclusion of the conference. Video footage showed an uncomfortable and visibly irate Rajnath Singh, India’s Defence Minister, reading the statement before ultimately withholding his signature. The reason? The joint statement condemned terrorism in Balochistan but made no mention of the Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
This omission indicates that the SCO did not find India’s evidence against Pakistan regarding the Pahalgam incident to be credible. In contrast, the evidence Pakistan presented linking India to terrorist activities in Balochistan appeared to carry more weight. Notably, even Russia—traditionally an ally of India—signed the statement. India stood isolated, with no other SCO member backing its claims or concerns.
This episode was a significant diplomatic setback for the Modi government. It raises the obvious question: if India’s evidence was credible, why was it not reflected in the joint communiqué? That no mention was made of the Pahalgam attack is telling—and deeply humiliating for India, especially given the presence of supposed allies like Russia.
All of this has unfolded within just two months of the May conflict and subsequent ceasefire. India’s foreign policy appears to be in disarray, and its global standing is rapidly diminishing.