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    EYE ON INDIA                                                             APRIL 24, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    6

                       Trump’s Tightrope: Balancing

                Delhi and Islamabad in a Shifting

                                            Geopolitical Order

             As Washington navigates crises from West Asia to South Asia, Donald Trump’s outreach to both India and
                                       Pakistan signals a careful, calculated diplomatic balancing act.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            is signed there underscores the impor-
                                                                                                                  tance Washington now places on this
            Washington, DC / NEW DELHI
                                                                                                                  channel.
               n a week marked by intense dip-                                                                        What emerges, then, is not a con-
               lomatic activity, Donald Trump                                                                     tradiction  but  a  strategy  of  parallel
            Ihas  struck  a  notably  calibrated                                                                  engagement. Trump appears to be le-
            tone toward both Narendra Modi and                                                                    veraging relationships with both India
            Pakistan’s leadership, raising a criti-                                                               and Pakistan to serve distinct but inter-
            cal question: is the United States at-                                                                connected objectives. With India, the
            tempting to rebalance its South Asia                                                                  focus is on long-term strategic align-
            policy, or merely hedging its bets amid                                                               ment and economic cooperation. With
            wider geopolitical uncertainty?                                                                       Pakistan, it is on immediate diplomat-
                Trump’s remarks following his                                                                     ic utility in resolving the Iran issue.
            conversation with Modi were warm,                                                                         However, this balancing act is not
            even personal. Calling the Indian                                                                     without  risks.  India  has  historically
            Prime  Minister  “a  friend”  and  de-                                                                been wary of any US tilt toward Pa-
            scribing  their  exchange  as  “a  very                                                               kistan, particularly given Islamabad’s
            good talk,” Trump reinforced the nar-                                                                 complex security dynamics and its
            rative of a strong and enduring US-In-                                                                ties with China. Any perception that
            dia partnership. Modi echoed this                                                                     Washington is elevating Pakistan’s
            sentiment, referring to Trump as “my                                                                  role could create unease in New Del-
            friend”  and  highlighting  “substantial                                                              hi. Conversely, Pakistan may view
            progress”  in  bilateral  cooperation.                                                                renewed US engagement as transac-
            Both leaders emphasized shared con-                                                                   tional, tied primarily to the Iran nego-
            cerns, particularly maritime security                                                                 tiations rather than a broader reset in
            and stability in West Asia, including the   US President Donald Trump gifts a book to PM Modi at their White House meeting in 2025   relations.
            strategic importance of keeping  the                                                                      Trump’s  own  rhetoric  reflects
            Strait of Hormuz “open and secure.”                  (Narendra Modi Photo Gallery/ANI Photo)          this transactional approach. His com-
                These statements are consistent                                                                   ments  linking  a  potential  Iran  deal
            with  the  trajectory  of  US-India  re-  cidental. Pakistan has emerged as a   demonstrates  Washington’s  broader   to “free oil” and lower energy prices
            lations over the past decade, where   potential intermediary in the sensi-  push  to  stabilize  the  region.  In  this   highlight the economic motivations
            defense, trade, and strategic align-  tive and stalled US-Iran negotiations.   context, both India and Pakistan be-  underpinning  US  diplomacy.  “If  it
            ment—especially in the Indo-Pacif-  With its geographic proximity, histor-  come relevant, albeit in different ways.  happens… your oil price will go down
            ic—have deepened ties. India remains   ical ties to Tehran, and strategic im-  India’s role is tied to economic   to  lower  than  what  it  was  before,”
            central to Washington’s broader strat-  portance in regional security dynam-  and strategic stability. As a major en-  he said, framing the negotiations in
            egy  of  countering  China’s  influence,   ics,  Islamabad  offers  Washington  a   ergy consumer, it has a direct stake in   terms of tangible benefits.
            and Trump’s reaffirmation of this re-  valuable diplomatic channel. Trump’s   the  security of maritime routes  like   In this light, Trump’s outreach to
            lationship fits within that framework.  acknowledgment  of  Pakistan’s  “con-  the Strait of Hormuz. Any disrup-  both countries can be seen as part of a
                Yet,  almost   simultaneously,  structive” role signals a willingness to   tion would have cascading effects on   larger effort to manage multiple crises
            Trump’s outreach toward Pakistan   re-engage with a country that had, in   global  oil  prices  and  supply  chains.   simultaneously. By maintaining strong
            suggests a more nuanced approach.   recent years, seen strained ties with   Trump’s emphasis on keeping these   ties with India while re-engaging Paki-
            In a striking comment, he expressed   the US.                       routes secure aligns with India’s inter-  stan for specific diplomatic purposes,
            willingness to visit Islamabad if a US-  The timing of these overtures is   ests, reinforcing the partnership.  the US is attempting to maximize its
            Iran deal were finalized there, stating,   significant.  West  Asia  is  witnessing   Pakistan, on the other hand, is   leverage across regions.
            “I would go to Pakistan, yeah… They   renewed volatility, and the United   being positioned as a diplomatic facil-  Whether this approach succeeds
            want me to go.” This is not merely   States is actively working to prevent   itator. Its engagement with Iran—evi-  will depend on execution. Balancing
            rhetorical  flourish.  Trump  went  fur-  escalation. Trump’s announcement   dent in meetings between Army Chief   two historically rival nations requires
            ther, praising Pakistan’s role in facil-  of  a  10-day  ceasefire  agreement  be-  Asim  Munir  and  Iranian  officials—  careful signaling and consistent pol-
            itating negotiations with Iran, saying   tween Israel and Lebanon—following   suggests  Islamabad  is  actively  trying   icy. Any misstep could alienate one
            intermediaries “have been so great.”  “excellent conversations” with leaders   to  broker  a  breakthrough.  Trump’s   side or the other, undermining broad-
                This dual engagement is not ac-  including  Benjamin  Netanyahu—  openness to visiting Pakistan if a deal   er strategic goals.

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