India-Pakistan tensions persist a year after brief 2025 border war

In May 2025 a four‑day border conflict erupted between India and Pakistan after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that killed 26 civilians. India blamed Pakistan‑based militants and launched Operation Sindoor, striking multiple sites across the Line of Control with cruise missiles, short‑range ballistic missiles and drones. Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan‑un‑Marsoos, employing Chinese‑built fighters, Turkish drones and engaging in one of the most significant beyond‑visual‑range aerial battles in recent years.

The fighting ended on May 10 with a US‑brokered ceasefire mediated by the Trump administration, a development that irritated India but earned Trump a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. After the war, Pakistan’s military chief Asim Munir was elevated to field marshal and became the country’s first chief of defence forces, increasing the military’s political clout. In India, the operation was portrayed as a decisive foreign‑policy win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though it also highlighted ongoing security and tourism challenges in Kashmir.

The brief war reshaped regional dynamics: Pakistan deepened defence and energy ties with China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, while India’s strategic outreach to the United States and Israel faced setbacks. Competing national narratives persist—India framing the conflict as a calibrated conventional response, Pakistan emphasising “responsible deterrence.” The lingering mistrust keeps the risk of further escalation high.