Rajnath, US defense chief talk counter-terror post Trump-Munir meet

Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh on Tuesday held a telephonic call with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth where the two leaders discussed defence partnership.

The call came days after US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistani Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. The call holds importance as there has been concern in New Delhi over America's support to Pakistan despite Islamabad's open role in nurturing and sponsoring terror outfits.

Glad to speak with the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth today. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-US defence partnership and strengthen cooperation in capacity building," said Singh on X.

India also appreciated the US for supporting India's fight against terror. "Conveyed my deep appreciation for the unwavering support extended by the US to India in its fight against terrorism. Looking forward to meet him at an early date, said Singh.

"The two leaders discussed a wide canvas of issues ranging from long-term cooperation in the defence sector, including training and military exchanges, to expanding the industry collaboration. They agreed to further build upon the momentum of this critical & mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars such as interoperability, integration of defence industrial supply chains, logistics sharing, increased joint military exercises and cooperation with other like-minded partners," said Ministry of Defence in a statement.