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Align On Iran, Pivot Away From China: Decoding Trump's Lunch Message To Asim Munir
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Trump has promised Pakistan unprecedented access to American defence technology in return for unconditional military and strategic support against Iran
US President Donald Trump, in a high-stakes diplomatic manoeuvre, hosted Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir for a closed-door lunch at the White House on Wednesday. According to top diplomatic sources in Washington, the meeting was anything but ceremonial as Trump laid out a series of sweeping demands and bold offers aimed at reshaping the regional power balance.
Pakistan remains the only nuclear nation in the region not firmly aligned with the US-India-Israel-Gulf alliance architecture, including coalitions like I2U2 and US-GCC pacts. Trump's overtures to Munir are widely viewed as an attempt to bring Pakistan into this strategic fold—especially as the US shores up regional support in the face of escalating tensions with Iran.
Experts believe this could be the most significant shift in US-Pakistan relations since the post-9/11 War on Terror alliance. However, Pakistan's response—especially regarding its strategic ties with China—remains to be seen.
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Manoj Gupta
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