India and the US are at odds after Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned down a lunch invitation with President Donald Trump, wary of a potential meeting with Pakistanās powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to Bloomberg.
Sources in New Delhi revealed that Modi was concerned Trump might orchestrate a surprise encounter between him and Munir if both were at the White House simultaneously. While India had no issue with Trump meeting Pakistanās civilian leaders, hosting Munir was seen as a blow to New Delhiās narrative.
This drama unfolded weeks after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire in May, following a tense four-day conflict. The situation escalated when Trump repeatedly claimed he prevented a nuclear war between the two nationsāa claim India strongly dismissed, stressing that the ceasefire was directly negotiated between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The friction peaked during a 35-minute phone call on June 17, after Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada early, missing a chance to meet Modi in person. During the call, Modi firmly stated that India and Pakistan had directly discussed the ceasefire at Pakistanās request after Indian bombardments. āIndia does not and will never accept mediation,ā Modi reportedly told Trump, who listened intently, according to an Indian readout.
Modiās decision to skip the White House lunch came after his aides learned Trump planned to host Munir the next day. Instead of stopping in Washington on his way back from Canada, Modi proceeded with a planned visit to Croatia.
The fallout was swift. Ties between Washington and New Delhi took a sharp hit, with Trump publicly slamming Indiaās trade barriers and economic performance. He later followed through on threats to slap a hefty 50% tariff on Indian exports to the US. The two leaders havenāt spoken since their June call.
Pakistan Army Chiefās US Visit Stirs the Pot
Adding fuel to the fire, foreign media reported Thursday that Field Marshal Munir is set to visit the US again this weekāhis second trip in under two months. Heās expected to attend the retirement ceremony of US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla, who recently received Pakistanās Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) award from President Asif Ali Zardari on July 26. No official word has been shared on other engagements during the visit.
Munirās last US trip in June saw him in a rare one-on-one meeting with Trump in the White House Cabinet Room, joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs Steve Witkoff, and Pakistanās national security adviser. The meeting came amid a brief but intense India-Pakistan conflict, sparked by Indian strikes inside Pakistan targeting those New Delhi claimed were behind the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan hit back with Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, downing several Indian fighter jets, with both sides suffering civilian and military losses.
During the June meeting, Munir praised Trumpās āconstructive and result-oriented roleā in brokering the ceasefire, while Trump commended Munirās leadership in navigating complex regional tensions. The discussions, which lasted over two hours, also touched on the worsening Iran situation and explored cooperation in trade, economic development, mining, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.
The visit paved the way for a major economic breakthrough. Pakistan and the US struck a trade deal, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the US Secretary of Commerce agreeing on a 19% reciprocal tariff on Pakistani exports, signaling a fresh chapter in bilateral economic ties.
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