MJ Akbar: US renaming Indo‑Pacific Command erases historic reality

Former Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar criticised the United States' decision on June 16 to rename the U.S. Indo‑Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) back to the Pacific Command (USPACOM). He called the move “unwise” and said, “The Indo‑Pacific is a historical reality which cannot be erased by a Pentagon pencil.”

Akbar emphasized that the Indo‑Pacific region is central to global strategic competition over water routes and trade, noting India’s strengthened position in the Malacca Strait, which he described as “the Hormuz Strait of India and Indonesia,” and asserting that India would play a critical role if navigation challenges arise.