Why did Donald Trump say: I Love Pakistan? What did he discuss with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Muneer?

What is cooking up between the US and Pakistan? Why is Washington inching towards Islamabad once again after a lull in their relations? Is Donald Trump reaching out to Pakistan because he wants to seek Pakistan's help in the Israel-Iran War? Has he met Pakistan Army chief General Asim Muneer on lunch and heaped praise on him for seeking his help in the fight against the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Afghanistan? These questions are circulating in world politics and many people in India and Pakistan are trying to decode the meeting. 

Donald Trump: I Love Pakistan

Donald Trump set the alarm bell ringing before he met the Pakistan Army chief by declaring, "I love Pakistan", though he also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "a fantastic man" in the same breath. But much more was to come. After meeting General Asim Muneer at lunch in the White House, he reiterated his role in preventing the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan. He said, "Reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it...". He also told reporters after the luncheon meeting that he had "thanked Muneer for ending the war with India" the previous month. Praising both Modi and Muneer, he said, "Two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war; that could have been a nuclear war." In a way Trump sticks to his gun: he continues to claim, despite India's denial, that it was he who mediated the ceasefire. 

Will Pakistan help US in Israel-Iran War?

However, analysts believe the main reason for meeting Asim Muneer is Trump's clever ploy to keep him in good humours so that Pakistan Army and the state of Pakistan can be used against Iran if the tension escalates and Washington is forced to join the Israel-Iran War. It's simple. Pakistan shares borders with Iran and the US may need its air space to attack Iran. It has been reported that Pakistan has shared the coordinates for the location, that were bombed by Israel. Besides, it has been suggested in a social media post on X that Pakistan has allowed the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) of the US to spy on Iran. It also shared an alleged screenshot of BACN 11-9001 being spotted on Flightradar24. 

Trump: Pakistan Knows Iran Better

Talking about the ongoing Israel-Iran War, Trump told reporters, "They (Pakistani leadership) know Iran very well, better than most. They're not happy about anything. It's not that they're bad with Israel. They know them both actually, but they probably, maybe, they know Iran better, but they see what's going on and he agreed with me."  Earlier, US President George Bush met the then Pakistan Army chief General Pervez Musharraf because he had staged a coup and declared himself the president of the country. Generally, the US president does not host an army chief of any other country. Asim Muneer is an exception for obvious reasons.