Pakistan is more than a mere irritant in the carefully-crafted India-US relationship. Ignoring it is no longer an option. It’s time to draw firm and non-negotiable red lines. And no, crypto sales and Nobel Prizes should not come in the way.

US President Donald Trump has taken the world on a rollercoaster ride — one filled with impulsive declarations, erratic diplomacy, and an insatiable hunger for credit.

With reckless ceasefire announcements and glaring conflicts of interest, Trump’s actions are shaking up alliances, undermining hard-won diplomatic achievements, and jeopardising America’s relationship with one of its most important partners: India.

Remember when Trump unilaterally announced a ceasefire between India and Pakistan before either country’s leadership had confirmed one? Pakistan violated it within hours. India was understandably livid, seeing it as a reckless and premature move that undermined its position.

Fast forward to today: after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Esfahan, and Natanz — Iran retaliated by targeting US bases in Qatar, Syria, Iraq, and Bahrain. The attacks were fended off with ease.

Then came another Trumpian moment. And even though the theatre this time was in the Middle East, it gave India Deja Vu. Trump abruptly declared a “total and complete ceasefire" between Iran and Israel on social media. But within hours, the two were bombing each other again. Trump was left furious — so much so that he reportedly dropped the F-bomb.

In a Truth Social post, Trump publicly warned Israel: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!"

An hour later, he bizarrely claimed Israel would not strike Iran and that Israeli jets would return while doing a “friendly plane wave" to Iran. The image of Israeli fighter jets waving to Iran in midair — while still over enemy territory — is surreal. Israel, for its part, insisted that Trump was well aware of their plans all along.

So who’s telling the truth?

Trump’s way of doing things is not easy to decode. The goalposts keep........

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