Honoured to meet Pak army chief Asim Munir, says Trump after their discussion

Two "very smart" leaders of India and Pakistan decided to end last month's conflict that could have turned into a nuclear war, US President Donald Trump said after holding a rare luncheon meeting with Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
"Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that (to end the conflict)," Trump said. The comments were seen at variance with his claims over a dozen times in the last few weeks that he brokered the India-Pakistan "ceasefire deal".
The unusual display of self-restraint by the US President in not squeezing himself in the frame immediately attracted attention in India because it followed PM Modi's Tuesday conversation with Trump, in which Modi had made plain that India would never let anyone meddle in its dealings with Pakistan. tnn & agencies
In the telephonic conversation, Modi had also refuted Donald Trump's public claim that he had brandished the threat of not doing a trade deal to get India agree to suspend the conflict with Pakistan, and asserted that Islamabad sued for peace after severe damage to its nine strategically crucial airbases by the IAF.
In his remarks to the media, Trump said he was "honoured" to meet Munir and that he discussed with the army chief the situation arising out of Iran-Israel conflict, amid speculation that Washington was looking at using Pakistani military bases in case it decides to launch attacks on Iran. Trump was effusive in lauding Modi, and referred to his telephonic conversation with the PM Tuesday night.
In a statement, the Pakistani Army said the US President expressed keen interest in forging a "mutually beneficial" trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests.
Trump was accompanied at the meeting by secretary of state Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Munir was joined in by Pakistan national security adviser and spy agency ISI chief Lt Gen Asim Malik.
Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Munir reportedly pitched for Nobel Peace Prize for the president for "preventing a nuclear war" between India and Pakistan.
"The reason I had him here was that I want to thank him for not going into war (with India)...
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
And, I want to thank PM Modi as well," Trump said. "We're working on a trade deal with India. We're working on a trade deal with Pakistan."
Hours before hosting Munir, Trump claimed credit for ending the conflict but he did not repeat it in his media remarks after the meet. Asked if Iran was discussed in the meeting with Munir, Trump said: "Well, they know Iran very well, better than most..." "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," he said.
The US-Pakistan trade partnership discussions, the Pakistan army said, encompassed avenues for expanding cooperation in domains such as economic development, mines and minerals, AI, energy, cryptocurrency and emerging technologies.
It is rare for the US President to host a lunch for a foreign country's army chief. There have been precedents of Pakistan army chiefs, including Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, receiving such invites. But they were holding the post of president as well.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Economic Times

8 minutes ago

• Economic Times

Gold at a crossroads: Will fed's hawkish pause and Iran conflict spark a $3,400 breakout?

Gold prices are currently under pressure due to the US Federal Reserve's stance on interest rates. This has strengthened the US Dollar. Geopolitical tensions and trade worries offer some support to gold. Spot gold is trading near $3,387. Technical levels to watch include support at $3,322 and resistance at $3,374. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is gold falling today? The Fed now expects only one rate cut of 25 bps in both 2026 and 2027. This 'hawkish' view supports the US Dollar and pressures gold. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Geopolitics and trade tensions still support gold US Senate Intel Chair said Trump wants to give Iran a last chance to end its nuclear program. Trump is reportedly delaying any strikes for about two weeks. Gold price now and key levels to watch Spot gold trades just below $3,350, after falling earlier in the day. Earlier this week, gold touched a nearly 2-month high close to $3,452. The US Dollar pulled back after a recent peak, giving gold slight support. Technical view: Can gold stay above key support? Immediate support: $3,323–$3,322 Next support: $3,300 Key resistance: $3,374–$3,375 Next hurdle: $3,400 Upside target if breakout happens: $3,434–$3,435, then $3,451–$3,452 Major breakout point: $3,500 (psychological level, also near top of ascending channel) What traders should watch next If gold drops below $3,322, it may fall further to $3,300 or even lower. If gold breaks above $3,400, it could aim for $3,435 and even $3,452. A clear move above $3,500 could open the door to test $3,550 or $3,600. RSI is weakening but close to key levels; a move back above 60 would signal strength. Today's focus: Geopolitics and the Fed outlook US–Iran tensions: US officials reportedly preparing strike options; Trump says, 'I may do it. I may not.' Fed signals fewer rate cuts in future years, boosting the Dollar and limiting gold upside. Gold prices are facing selling pressure even though there are some factors that could help support them. The Federal Reserve's tough stance on interest rates is helping the US Dollar and putting pressure on worries and increasing geopolitical tensions may support gold as a safe-haven asset. Gold prices have dropped to their lowest in over a week, trading just below a key level in early European trading. This comes after the Fed recently lowered its forecast for future rate cuts, which boosts the US Dollar and reduces demand for gold, since it doesn't pay is under pressure again even though some factors could support it. Prices are hovering just under $3,350 after falling earlier in the day. Traders are watching global risks and the US Federal Reserve's recent interest rate US Federal Reserve kept interest rates the same but said it now plans fewer rate cuts in 2026 and 2027. This made the US Dollar stronger and reduced demand for gold, which doesn't give any top of that, European stock markets are doing well, which is reducing safe-haven demand for with the pressure, gold still has some support. Rising tensions in the Middle East are worrying investors. The fight between Iran and Israel has now gone on for eight days. There's also speculation that the US may get the same time, US–China trade worries are growing again. Trump has warned of new tariffs on the pharma sector, and more could come before the July 9 'liberation day' tariff kind of uncertainty usually supports gold as a safe has dropped below the 100-period SMA and is testing the lower edge of an ascending channel. Momentum indicators are losing strength, especially on hourly now, gold is trading between $3,322 and $3,400. A clear breakout from this range could set the direction for the coming weeks.

Time of India

14 minutes ago

• Time of India

Tata Motors working with govt, looking alternate sources for magnets: Chandrasekaran

Mumbai: Tata Motors is working with the government and is also taking steps to procure magnets from alternate sources in the wake of China restricting exports of rare earth elements , company Chairman N Chandrasekaran told its shareholders on Friday. Responding to queries from shareholders on the impact of China's move to restrict exports of rare earth elements and shortage of magnets, he said, "As of now, this is not a concern, but this is something that we are watching very carefully." "As of now, we are okay. We are not facing are able to source the magnets that we need, and also we have plans for having the right level of inventory. We are working with the government. Also, we are working on sourcing from alternate sources," Chandrasekaran noted. China's restrictions on the export of rare earth elements and related magnets are affecting the domestic auto and white goods sectors. The automobile industry had sought government support in expediting approvals from the Chinese government for importing rare earth magnets used in various applications, including passenger cars. Live Events To another query on the impact of the ongoing Iran-Israel war on the company's business, he said, "It is very difficult to answer what will be a war kind of situation look like." However, he said Tata Motors group's three firms -- commercial vehicle, passenger vehicles and JLR -- have a very strong platform. "They will be able to tide over any of these geopolitical issues in the short term but are completely ready and poised for excellent growth and leverage the opportunity that this industry has to offer," Chandrsekaran asserted. Earlier in opening address, he said that going forward, volatility will continue to mark economic cycles -- from widespread geopolitical conflicts, military escalations, the redrawing of supply chains and tariff regimes, to AI and energy transition. Nowhere are all these disruptions visible more than in the automotive sector . "Given the enormous amount of work we have done over the past few years -- from simplifying the businesses to making big strategic bets to strengthening our financial position -- our businesses are structured to not just handle this environment, but to thrive," he asserted. Responding to a query on passenger vehicle business expansion in international markets, he said, "This is something that we are always in discussions but we are waiting for the right geopolitical environment to be able to launch but we are getting prepared." To another query on the completion of demerger of Tata Motors' commercial and passenger vehicle verticals into separate entities, Chandrasekaran said, "We think the demerger will happen in the last quarter of this year. "First, the PV company will list and then the CV company will list a couple of months later. It will happen, in our estimate, sometime around October-November-December quarter." Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

News18

16 minutes ago

• News18

'Where's Shehbaz Sharif?': Pakistani Media Calls Trump-Asim Munir Meet 'Unsettling'

Last Updated: Present at the meeting were not just General Munir but also Pakistan's top intelligence official, Lt Gen Asim Malik Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir's high-level meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday has raised eyebrows in Pakistan, with major media outlets and political commentators describing the optics as questionable. The unusual setting — a closed-door luncheon in the White House's Cabinet Room without the presence of any Pakistani civilian leadership — has fuelled concerns about Pakistan's civil-military imbalance, both at home and across the border. As reported by Dawn, one of Pakistan's leading newspapers, June 18 marked a rare moment in US-Pakistan relations. For the first time, a sitting American president hosted a Pakistani Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in such an exclusive and high-level setting. Present at the meeting were not just General Munir but also Pakistan's top intelligence official, Lt Gen Asim Malik, who currently serves as the country's National Security Adviser. However, absent were key civilian figures — no ambassador, no foreign minister, and most notably, no Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. 'Notably absent were any Pakistani civilian officials. No ambassador, no foreign minister — only the army chief and Pakistan's top intelligence officer, Lt Gen Asim Malik, who also serves as national security adviser," the publication wrote. On the US side, Trump was joined by Secretary of State Senator Marco Rubio and Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs Steve Witkoff. The meeting reportedly lasted over two hours, far longer than its original one-hour schedule, according to Pakistan's military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). ISPR issued a statement highlighting the perceived success of the visit, claiming that 'US-Pakistan relations have achieved in the last three days what India could not achieve in three decades." It also described the meeting as a sign of Pakistan gaining 'strategic priority" in Washington. Yet, back in Islamabad, the 'the scene at the Cabinet Room — Trump seated across from Pakistani generals, while Pakistan's political leadership remained invisible was unsettling in many ways," Dawn wrote. 'Structurally imbalanced': India Meanwhile, India's Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh criticised the optics of the meeting in an interview with Simta Prakash's podcast on ANI. 'It must be an embarrassment to any country that the Military Chief gets invited and the Prime Minister is nowhere to be seen," Singh said. He further called the situation as a 'structurally imbalanced state where the military essentially has first claim on resources." The defence secretary also pointed out that Munir's presence and Pakistan PM Sharif's absence in the White House was indicative of the power dynamics in the neighbouring country. About the Author News Desk Location : Pakistan First Published: June 20, 2025, 20:01 IST