US SecDef Pete Hegseth ने Trump को India‑Pakistan शांति के लिए श्रेय दिया, Indo‑Pacific रणनीति को उजागर किया

<h3>Overview</h3> <p>At the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Shangri‑La Dialogue — An annual security forum in Singapore where defence ministers discuss regional security issues (GS2: Polity)">Shangri‑La Dialogue</span> on 30 May 2026, U.S. Secretary of Defense <strong>Pete Hegseth</strong> praised President <strong>Donald Trump</strong> for helping broker a peace understanding between India and Pakistan after their 2025 military clash. He also underscored New Delhi’s growing role in the U.S. <span class="key-term" data-definition="Indo‑Pacific — A geopolitical region spanning the Indian and Pacific Oceans, central to India’s and US’s strategic interests (GS2: Polity)">Indo‑Pacific</span> strategy.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>Hegseth said the 2025 India‑Pakistan confrontation, sparked by a terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam, was eased through diplomatic engagement, with Trump’s mediation highlighted.</li> <li>Both India and Pakistan, he noted, will continue to view each other through a security lens, acknowledging potential <span class="key-term" data-definition="ICBM — Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, a long‑range missile capable of delivering nuclear warheads across continents; central to deterrence and strategic stability (GS3: Defence & Security)">ICBM</span> threat perception.</li> <li>The U.S. praised the “contributions to international stability” of both nations and mentioned Pakistan’s role as a mediator in the West‑Asia (Iran‑US) peace process.</li> <li>India’s defence modernisation, co‑production plans with the U.S., and expanding logistics capacity were highlighted as pillars of a stable <span class="key-term" data-definition="balance of power — A situation where no single state dominates, ensuring stability; a core concept in international relations (GS2: Polity)">balance of power</span> in the Indian Ocean.</li> <li>Hegseth called for greater <span class="key-term" data-definition="burden‑sharing — The practice of allies sharing defence costs and responsibilities, reducing reliance on a single nation (GS2: Polity)">burden‑sharing</span> among Indo‑Pacific partners, moving away from a U.S.–centric defence subsidy model.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <p>• The 2025 clash lasted four days and resulted from a terror attack that killed 26 people in Pahalgam.<br> • India maintains that the peace understanding was reached bilaterally, rejecting third‑party mediation claims.<br> • Pakistan’s Prime Minister <strong>Shehbaz Sharif</strong> aims to host the next round of Iran‑US peace talks in Islamabad.<br> • The U.S. plans co‑production projects with India to boost high‑end military capabilities.<br> • Defence partners cited include India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.</p> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <p>The episode illustrates several themes that appear in the UPSC syllabus: the role of great powers in regional security (GS2), the strategic importan