India has asserted its right to take action against cross-border terrorism, as conveyed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during a telephonic conversation. The discussion, held on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, centered on strengthening defense ties between India and the United States and covered a range of issues, including long-term cooperation in the defense sector, industry partnerships, and military exchanges.
During the conversation, Rajnath Singh thanked Secretary Hegseth for the unwavering support extended by the U.S. to India in its fight against terrorism. Singh emphasized that Pakistan has a long track record of cross-border terrorism and has become a safe haven for terrorists who enjoy immunity there. He stated that India reserves the right to respond and defend itself against terrorism, and to pre-empt and deter any further cross-border attacks.
In reference to India's recent counterterrorism operation, "Operation Sindoor," Singh stated that India's actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and focused on disabling terrorist infrastructure. Sources indicated that Singh conveyed to Hegseth that the operation only targeted terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan.
Both leaders agreed to deepen the India-U.S. defense partnership across various domains, such as the integration of defense industrial supply chains, logistics sharing, and increased joint military exercises. Hegseth invited Singh to the U.S. for an in-person meeting to further advance the bilateral partnership. Singh also lauded Hegseth for his leadership, which he said has helped elevate India–US defense ties to new levels.
This was the third telephonic conversation between Singh and Hegseth since January 2025. Singh said the discussion aimed to review ongoing and new initiatives to deepen the defense partnership and strengthen capacity-building cooperation.
The Ministry of Defence stated that Singh and Hegseth discussed a broad range of issues, including long-term cooperation in the defense sector, training and military exchanges, and expanding industry collaboration. They agreed to build upon the momentum of their partnership, with a focus on interoperability, integration of defense industrial supply chains, logistics sharing, increased joint military exercises, and cooperation with other like-minded partners.
