• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Indian PM Modi warns Pakistan against 'nuclear blackmail,' vows armed response

Iran Press TV

Friday, 15 August 2025 4:40 PM

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a stern warning to Pakistan against threatening New Delhi with what he called "nuclear blackmail."

Speaking at the Red Fort on Friday during India's 79th Independence Day celebrations, Modi directly responded to remarks attributed to Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, who reportedly threatened to use nuclear weapons in the event of a military confrontation over issues including water distribution and Kashmir, long-standing points of tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Indian media reports cited Munir addressing the Pakistani diaspora in Tampa, Florida, during a visit to the United States last week, stating that Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons and, if necessary, would "take half the world down" with them.

Modi rejected the threat, emphasizing India's readiness to respond.

"Nuclear blackmail has been going on for a long time, but now India won't tolerate the blackmailing," he said in a speech lasting one hour and forty-three minutes.

"If our enemies persist in such attempts, our armed forces will respond, on their own terms, at a time of their choosing, and by achieving the objectives they set. We are ready to give a befitting reply."

Modi expressed gratitude to the Indian armed forces for their role in a brief military confrontation with Pakistan in May.

"Destruction inflicted by our armed forces in Pakistan was so widespread, new revelations are being made every day," he said

Modi also hinted that India would continue its unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan. The treaty allows sharing the roughly 2,897-kilometer (1,800-mile) river, a lifeline for both countries.

"Rivers from India were irrigating the lands of enemies while my country's farmers and land faced a deficiency of water," Modi said. "India has now decided that blood and water will not flow together."

During his visit to the US, Pakistan's army chief reportedly criticized India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, warning it could put 250 million people at risk of starvation.

He said Pakistan would destroy any dam India built, stressing that Islamabad had no shortage of missiles.

On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke out against New Delhi's decision in April to suspend the historical Indus Waters Treaty, a decades-old water-sharing agreement between the two countries.

"I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to hold our water, then keep this in mind that you cannot snatch even one drop from Pakistan," Sharif said. "You threaten to stop our water. If you attempt such a move, Pakistan will teach you a lesson you will never forget."

Reports suggest that over 80 percent of Pakistan's irrigation and nearly 50 percent of its GDP depend on the water from the Indus River.

India pulled out of the treaty in April after a deadly attack targeting Hindu tourists in Indian- administrated Kashmir that it said was backed by Pakistan.

Meanwhile, despite escalating pressure and threats of additional tariffs from the United States, Modi avoided the topic, instead emphasizing his commitment to farmers.

"When economic selfishness is rising day by day... we must not just sit and worry about the crisis but instead focus on our strengths," Modi said.

He added that he would "stand like a wall" against any policy that hurts the interests of India's agricultural sector.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by August 27 if New Delhi does not halt its purchase of Russian oil.

"We know that we remain dependent on many countries to meet our energy needs," Modi said. "But to build a truly self-reliant India, we must achieve energy independence."

The increased import of discounted Russian crude oil reportedly helped India save between $7 billion and $10 billion, bringing total gross oil expenditures to $186 billion.

Indian exports to the United States were worth $87.3 billion in 2024, while US imports into India reached $41.5 billion, with arms and munitions constituting a significant portion.