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Rubio Defends US-Pakistan Ties During India Visit by Citing New Delhi Engagement With Iran

Reviewed by James Caldwell · 4 min read
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United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Washington's diplomatic ties with Pakistan during a three-day official visit to India on October 20, 2026, comparing the relationship to New Delhi's ongoing diplomatic engagement with Tehran. Speaking in an interview with Indian broadcaster Network18 in Mumbai after holding talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rubio responded to questions regarding his past legislative efforts as a senator to restrict security aid to Pakistan over state-sponsored terrorism. He explained that managing American foreign policy requires maintaining contact with nuclear-armed Islamabad due to geographic realities, asserting that bilateral channels allow Washington to discourage actions that threaten Indian security.

Rubio sharply criticized Iran's clerical governance during the interview, arguing that reaching durable diplomatic pacts with radical Shia clerics remains exceptionally difficult. The Secretary of State condemned Iranian drone and missile strikes against commercial shipping, drawing a direct parallel between Tehran's maritime operations and the submarine warfare conducted by Nazi Germany against merchant vessels during World War II. Rubio noted that the United States military continues to intercept incoming munitions targeting maritime traffic, pointing out that several Indian merchant mariners have been killed in these strikes due to their significant presence in international commercial shipping crews. He added that crude and energy supplies transiting the Strait of Hormuz currently operate between 80 and 100 percent of pre-conflict volumes.

The diplomatic rationale drew divergent public reactions across South Asia. In India, numerous social media commentators voiced frustration over the parallel drawn between Pakistan and Iran, criticizing the defense of Washington's renewed cooperation with Islamabad. Conversely, Pakistani commentators characterized the interview as a diplomatic setback for Indian media narratives, emphasizing Rubio's refusal to align strictly with New Delhi's demands. Concurrently, Pakistani military leadership held meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran aimed at de-escalating regional friction involving the United States and Israel, following Islamabad's earlier role facilitating the 60-day accord between Washington and Tehran that expired on August 17, 2026.

Key Developments

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Washington's ties with Islamabad by comparing them to India's diplomatic relations with Tehran.
  • Rubio addressed his prior senatorial legislation seeking aid cuts to Pakistan, stating his executive role requires managing critical bilateral relations.
  • The Secretary of State asserted that maintaining ties with nuclear-armed Pakistan allows the United States to discourage threats against India.
  • Rubio condemned Iranian maritime attacks, likening them to Nazi submarine warfare and noting that Indian sailors had been killed.
  • Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir held talks with Iranian leaders in Tehran during Rubio's visit to India.
  • Rubio stated that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains at 80 to 100 percent of pre-conflict levels.

Background

Relations between the United States and Pakistan experienced a significant revival under the second Trump administration, marked by high-level engagements including a White House lunch for Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir in June 2025. This diplomatic warming followed a four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025 involving combat aircraft, missiles, artillery, and drones across the Line of Control. During that escalation, Pakistan claimed its Chinese-built J-10 and JF-17 fighters downed seven Indian military aircraft with PL-15 air-to-air missiles, including three Rafale fighters, an Su-30, and a MiG-29, while India acknowledged three aircraft crashes in Indian-administered Kashmir. President Donald Trump claimed eleven jets were downed and asserted US mediation averted widespread war, though New Delhi disputed any American involvement in the ceasefire.

Simultaneously, Pakistan established itself as a crucial diplomatic intermediary between Washington and Tehran during the broader conflict involving Iran. Islamabad hosted talks and transmitted key communiques that led to the temporary 60-day Islamabad accord, which ultimately lapsed without a permanent settlement on August 17, 2026. The strategic rivalry over Kashmir remains the core driver of South Asian friction, where India maintains over 500,000 security personnel in the territory it administers.

Timeline

  1. A four-day armed confrontation erupts between India and Pakistan involving aerial, missile, and artillery combat before a ceasefire is established.

  2. President Donald Trump hosts Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir at the White House for lunch.

  3. The 60-day Islamabad accord between the United States and Iran expires without a comprehensive diplomatic agreement.

  4. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Mumbai, meets External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and defends US-Pakistan ties on Network18.

  5. Pakistani army leadership conducts high-level diplomatic talks in Tehran to avert wider conflict involving the United States and Israel.

Perspectives

United States Department of State

Argues that geographic positioning and nuclear arms necessitate pragmatic engagement with Pakistan, which can be leveraged to restrain regional tensions and protect commercial corridors.

Indian Public and Media Observers

Expressed disappointment over Washington's strategic justification for ties with Pakistan and the explicit comparison made to India's engagement with Iran.

Pakistani Observers

Viewed Rubio's remarks as an acknowledgement of Pakistan's indispensable regional role and a rejection of Indian efforts to isolate Islamabad diplomatically.

Quotes

“In my new role — I'm no longer a senator; I'm the Secretary of State — I have to manage the foreign policy of the United States. And that does require us to have relationships with countries, including those that we may have some disagreements with.”

— Marco Rubio, Explaining the shift from his previous senatorial stance of restricting aid to Pakistan to his current diplomatic obligations.

“In the case of Pakistan, it's a country that we have to have a relationship with. It's a country that possesses nuclear weapons. It's a country that, from a geographical standpoint, we need to be able to interact with them, in much the same way as the government of India has to have and has a relationship and meets with leaders from Iran.”

— Marco Rubio, Drawing a direct geopolitical comparison between US-Pakistan relations and India-Iran ties during an interview with Network18.

“I think in a way it could be a positive thing, because if we have a relationship and we can speak to them it could perhaps help us, perhaps puts us in a position to help discourage the kinds of things that India is worried about.”

— Marco Rubio, Arguing that Washington's diplomatic access to Islamabad benefits Indian security concerns.

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