Hegseth says US and Pakistan developing ‘true friendship,’ praises role in Iran peace talks

• US Secretary of Defense lauds Islamabad’s role as interlocutor in US-Iran peace process

• Avoids naming Pakistan or India as threats, saying countries may also seek to develop ICBM capabilities, but Washington was not currently ‘pointing fingers’ at either country

• Highlights US defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asian partners, including India

 SINGAPORE: United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday said Washington and Islamabad were developing a “true friendship,” while lauding Pakistan’s role in the ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations.

Pakistan has been acting as an official interlocutor between Washington and Tehran in the ongoing peace process, which has already led to the April 8 US-Iran ceasefire. President Donald Trump and senior US officials have repeatedly acknowledged Islamabad’s diplomatic role in the initiative.

Speaking at the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth was asked about former director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s remarks suggesting that Pakistan’s future missile capabilities could pose a threat to the United States, as well as whether India’s Agni-VI missile programme presented a similar concern.

The question came after Hegseth, in his address, highlighted US defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asian partners, including India, which he described as a “critical anchor to hold the line.”

“I mentioned India here, but I very easily could have mentioned Pakistan and the role that the field marshal and the prime minister are playing in peace negotiations,” Hegseth said, referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.

“I think an unexpected development and a true friendship is developing there, which I think is important,” he added.

Noting that both India and Pakistan are nuclear-capable countries, Hegseth said both sides would continue to perceive security threats from each other, some of which, he said, may be viewed differently by the United States.

He added that countries may also seek to develop intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities, but clarified that Washington was not currently “pointing fingers” at either country or labelling them as threats.

The US defence secretary further said Washington was “grateful for, in each of their lanes, the benefits they’ve given to peace around the world.”

Hegseth also reiterated the US and Pakistan’s position that President Donald Trump played a key role in brokering a ceasefire between Pakistan and India during the May 2025 conflict, a claim India has rejected, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi denying the assertion.

President Trump has repeatedly praised Pakistan’s leadership, calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “great” and Field Marshal Asim Munir “fantastic” during a meeting last month.

Earlier, in February, at the inaugural meeting of the US-led Board of Peace, Trump described Sharif as a “great guy” and called Munir a “tough man” and a “serious fighter,” even referring to him as “my favourite field marshal.”

In November 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said the United States saw an opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan, stressing that strengthening ties with Islamabad would not come at the expense of Washington’s relationship with New Delhi.