Former United States secretary of state Antony Blinken has said Washington must respect India’s right to defend itself and maintain zero tolerance towards terrorism. Antony Blinken described India as a global force and said the partnership between the two countries was global in scope.
Antony Blinken was speaking at a leadership event on Saturday, in conversation with Ambassador Jawed Ashraf. His remarks drew a clear line between the United States’ relationship with India and its relationship with Pakistan, which he described as regional in nature.
Antony Blinken on US ties with India
Blinken said the relationship and shared interests between Washington and New Delhi were “really global in nature”. He said the two countries worked together across a wide range of areas, from security to trade and technology, and that the partnership extended well beyond regional concerns.
Antony Blinken also recognised India’s right to defend itself against terrorist threats, while supporting diplomatic efforts to manage regional tensions. The United States, he said, should back India in responding to attacks, and its policy should reflect that position.
Blinken served as America’s top diplomat under President Joe Biden. His comments come at a time when ties between Washington and New Delhi are under close watch, following the Trump administration’s handling of relations with both India and Pakistan.
Antony Blinken contrasts India and Pakistan ties
Blinken described Washington’s engagement with Pakistan as largely regional, with counterterrorism cooperation at its centre. He said the two relationships were fundamentally different in character, even though the United States works with both countries.
India and the United States have drawn closer over the past two decades, through defence agreements, trade and cooperation on technology. Washington sees New Delhi as a partner in the Indo-Pacific, and the two countries hold regular talks between their foreign and defence ministers.
Antony Blinken served as secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. During his time in office, he visited India several times and took part in the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the two countries, which brings together their foreign and defence ministers.
The contrast matters because the United States has long balanced its partnerships in South Asia. India has become a central partner for Washington on trade, technology and security in the Indo-Pacific, while Pakistan remains a partner mainly on counterterrorism.
Antony Blinken’s remarks arrived against the backdrop of debate over the Trump administration’s claims about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May 2025. President Donald Trump has spoken of his role in the ceasefire that followed four days of military confrontation between the two countries. New Delhi has said the understanding was reached directly between the two countries’ military officials.
The leadership event where Blinken spoke was held in New Delhi on Saturday. Ambassador Jawed Ashraf, who led the conversation, is a former Indian ambassador to France.
What Antony Blinken said on terrorism
Blinken has spoken about terrorism and the right to self-defence before. At the United Nations Security Council, he described terrorist acts as unlawful and unjustifiable, whether carried out by Islamic State, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba or Hamas, and he cited the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in that context.
The 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 killed more than 160 people. Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, the Pakistan-based group blamed for the attacks, remains a central concern in India’s security policy, and New Delhi has repeatedly pressed for action against groups operating from Pakistani soil.
India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025 after the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed. The operation targeted what India described as terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and the confrontation ended after four days with an understanding between the two sides’ military officials.
Antony Blinken did not announce any policy change, and he holds no office in the current administration. His remarks were those of a former secretary of state setting out how he believes Washington should approach the region, and they were reported widely in India on Sunday. The Hindu reported his remarks on 15 November. The event was one of several public appearances Blinken has made since leaving office.