US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a “true friendship” is emerging between Washington and Islamabad, crediting Pakistan’s leadership for helping efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Iran.

Speaking during a question-and-answer session following his address at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday— remarks later released by the summit organizer, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), on YouTube — Hegseth praised Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for their role in peace negotiations linked to the Iran conflict.

“An unexpected development and a true friendship” has been developing between the United States and Pakistan, Hegseth said, adding that the growing relationship was reflected in President Donald Trump’s ability to help broker peace between India and Pakistan during their military confrontation last year.

The remarks highlight a significant improvement in US-Pakistan ties over the past year, particularly Washington’s engagement with Pakistan’s military leadership. At the same time, relations between the United States and India have faced occasional friction, with New Delhi continuing to reject Trump’s claims that he helped secure the ceasefire that ended the May 2025 conflict between the two South Asian rivals.

Despite his praise for Pakistan, Hegseth reaffirmed India’s importance to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific. In his speech to the summit, he described India as a “critical anchor” for regional balance and said the country was modernizing its military to “carry its share of the security burden, particularly in the Indian Ocean.”

The United States remains committed to co-producing weapons with India, he added.

Responding to a question about India’s long-range missile capabilities, Hegseth said both India and Pakistan perceive security threats from each other and are therefore likely to continue developing missile systems as part of their deterrence strategies. AA