Context and causes
The May 7–10 2025 India‑Pakistan conflict (called Operation Sindoor by India) was the most serious escalation between the nuclear‑armed neighbours since 1999. The immediate trigger was a terrorist attack at Pahalgam, Indian‑administered Kashmir on 22 April 2025, which killed 26 tourists and injured many others. India blamed Pakistan‑based groups for the massacre and suspended the Indus Waters Treaty to signal a “new normal” of punitive response thediplomat.com.
On 7 May 2025 India launched Operation Sindoor, firing precision missiles and drones at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan‑administered Kashmir. According to Reuters, the strikes targeted facilities of Jaish‑e‑Mohammed and Lashkar‑e‑Taiba and included sites in Pakistani Punjab for the first time; Pakistan said Indian missiles hit mosques and civilian areas, killing 31 civilians and injuring 46 reuters.com. Pakistan retaliated by shooting down several Indian aircraft and launching drones and missiles at Indian bases nbr.org. The fighting was largely an exchange of missiles and drones rather than ground incursions and lasted four days (7–10 May) before a U.S.‑brokered ceasefire took effect nbr.org. Both sides claimed success; analysts noted that India inflicted significant damage on Pakistani air assets but also lost several aircraft en.wikipedia.org.
International positions during the war
World reactions to the crisis were unusually varied. China called for restraint from both sides and stressed opposition to terrorism aljazeera.com. France expressed understanding of India’s desire to fight terrorism but urged de‑escalation aljazeera.com. Iran and Russia similarly urged restraint, while Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates emphasised dialogue and a diplomatic resolution aljazeera.com. Turkey supported Pakistan’s call for an investigation into the Pahalgam attack and later provided drones and trained personnel to Pakistan, according to an Indian Army official reuters.com.
Israel was one of the few governments that openly supported India’s actions. Its ambassador to India said Israel backed India’s right to self‑defence aljazeera.com. Japan, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the United States all called for restraint and emphasised that further escalation must be avoided aljazeera.com. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio monitored the situation but refrained from taking sides aljazeera.com; Washington later mediated the ceasefire nbr.org.
Although the conflict was brief, allegations surfaced that China provided live intelligence to Pakistan and that Turkey supplied combat drones. An Indian Army deputy chief told a defence industry event that Pakistan received “live inputs” about Indian positions from China and that Turkish drones and personnel supported Pakistan reuters.com. Pakistan denied any active Chinese involvement, but the Chinese foreign minister later vowed support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity reuters.com. These charges fuelled perceptions that Beijing and Ankara tilted toward Islamabad, while Western and Middle‑Eastern governments largely urged de‑escalation.
Post‑war bilateral relations
Despite the May ceasefire, India–Pakistan relations remained tense. India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that any future terror attack would be treated as an act of war signalled a hardening of New Delhi’s posture thediplomat.com. Pakistan warned that diverting the western rivers would be considered an act of war, highlighting the importance of water security to its economy thediplomat.com. As of September 2025, dialogue between the two capitals had not resumed, and the Line of Control remained heavily militarised thediplomat.com.
Pakistan’s diplomacy and relationships three months later
United States
The war unexpectedly opened diplomatic channels between Washington and Islamabad. U.S. mediation of the May ceasefire produced goodwill, and Pakistan’s government publicly praised President Trump. Modern Diplomacy noted that Pakistan used the crisis to reset its relationship with the United States; high‑level visits and counter‑terrorism cooperation followed moderndiplomacy.eu.
In late July 2025 Islamabad and Washington concluded a trade agreement that cut U.S. tariffs on Pakistani exports from 29 percent to 19 percent and pledged to increase Pakistani imports of U.S. crude oil and open Pakistan’s mining sector to U.S. investors thediplomat.com. Reuters later reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington looked forward to cooperating with Pakistan on critical minerals and hydrocarbons and praised Pakistan’s counter‑terrorism engagement reuters.com. Islamabad offered U.S. companies concessions to invest in copper and gold deposits in Balochistan, including the huge Reko Diq mine reuters.com. Analysts suggested that Pakistan’s mineral reserves, estimated at US$6 trillion, could make the country a significant player in the global energy transition if it improved regulation and infrastructure thediplomat.com. These agreements signaled a thaw in U.S.‑Pakistan relations and promised economic benefits such as reduced tariffs, investment in the mining sector and broader trade opportunities.
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf
On 17 September 2025 Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia. Reuters reported that the agreement states that aggression against either country would be treated as aggression against both and that it formalises decades‑long security cooperation reuters.com. Pakistan already had thousands of troops in Saudi Arabia providing training, and Riyadh had extended a $3 billion loan to shore up Pakistan’s foreign reserves reuters.com. Saudi officials said the pact was not a response to specific events but an institutionalisation of long‑standing ties. For Pakistan the pact provided security guarantees and the prospect of continued financial support, while also signalling to India that Islamabad retained strong allies in the Gulf.
Iran
Pakistan also moved closer to Iran. In early August 2025 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian paid his first foreign visit to Islamabad following the June Iran‑Israel conflict. During the visit the two countries signed agreements to raise bilateral trade from US$3 billion to US$10 billion and to strengthen counter‑terrorism cooperation thediplomat.com. Pakistan condemned Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, justified Tehran’s retaliatory attacks as self‑defence and offered support at the United Nations thediplomat.com. The Diplomat observed that Islamabad hopes to mediate between Tehran and Washington and that the U.S. has acknowledged Pakistan’s potential role thediplomat.com. Improved trade and security cooperation with Iran broadened Pakistan’s diplomatic options and underscored its ambition to act as a regional stabiliser.
China and Turkey
China remained Pakistan’s most important military and economic partner. The May conflict highlighted Pakistan’s reliance on Chinese military hardware; analysts noted that Pakistan now relies almost entirely on Chinese platforms and integrated Chinese missiles, drones and radar networks in combat belfercenter.org. After the ceasefire, China’s foreign minister pledged support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity reuters.com, and Chinese investments continued. Turkey also deepened defence cooperation by providing drones and training during the war reuters.com, and maintained diplomatic support afterwards.
Benefits for Pakistan
- Economic and trade gains. The U.S.‑Pakistan trade agreement lowered tariffs on Pakistani exports and opened lucrative markets. Planned U.S. investment in Pakistan’s mining sector and cooperation on critical minerals could unlock billions in revenue and diversify Pakistan’s export base thediplomat.com reuters.com. Agreements with Iran to boost trade to $10 billion and the Saudi defence pact, which accompanies generous loans, provide further economic relief thediplomat.com reuters.com.
- Enhanced diplomatic stature. Pakistan’s restrained conduct during the war and willingness to accept U.S. mediation improved its international image. Modern Diplomacy argued that Islamabad’s diplomatic reawakening has given it greater leverage in Washington, potential access to technology and investment, and a reputation as a constructive partner in counter‑terrorism moderndiplomacy.eu.
- Security guarantees. The mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia provides Pakistan with an explicit security umbrella and affirms that an attack on Pakistan would elicit Saudi support reuters.com. Continued Chinese military assistance and Turkish drone cooperation further bolster Pakistan’s defence capabilities belfercenter.org reuters.com.
- Regional influence. By aligning with Iran and positioning itself as a mediator between Tehran and Washington, Pakistan expanded its regional influence thediplomat.com. Its close ties with China and the Gulf states give Islamabad leverage in negotiations with India and other powers.
Conclusion
The May 2025 India‑Pakistan war was brief but consequential. India’s Operation Sindoor demonstrated its willingness to retaliate militarily against cross‑border terrorism, while Pakistan’s response underscored its resolve to deter Indian strikes. International reactions were mostly calls for restraint, with few countries openly siding with either combatant. In the war’s aftermath Pakistan embarked on an ambitious diplomatic offensive—resetting relations with the United States through trade and mineral deals, formalising a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, strengthening ties with Iran and maintaining strategic partnerships with China and Turkey. These efforts have brought economic benefits, security guarantees and increased diplomatic clout, positioning Pakistan as a more influential player in South and West Asia. However, the underlying India–Pakistan rivalry remains unresolved, and future crises could still threaten regional stability.
