‘Arms worth $2 billion shipped to Pakistan’: Indian Army takes a dig at US amid Trump tariffs row, highlights its role in 1971 war

Amid the rising tensions between India and the United States over tariffs, the Indian Army on Tuesday (Aug 5) shared a stark reminder of history, highlighting the continued military support the US provided to Pakistan during the 1971 war. Sharing an image from a newspaper dated August 5, 1971, the Eastern Command of the Indian Army wrote on X, “‘This Day That Year’ Build Up of War”, with the hashtag #KnowFacts. The newspaper cutting features a headline in bold, capital letters: “US ARMS WORTH $2 BILLION SHIPPED TO PAKISTAN SINCE ’54”. The article talked about the developments during a Rajya Sabha session in 1971, months before India went to war with Pakistan. The war eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh in December of that year.

The post by the Indian Army comes amid the rising tensions between New Delhi and Washington after US President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods starting August 7. On Monday (Aug 4), Trump issued a fresh threat of a “substantial hike” in trade duties on India for buying Russian oil and “selling it on the open market for big profits”.

Following the statements made by the US president, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict.”

The MEA added in an X post, “In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability.”

“In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the statement added.