US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described Pakistan as a 'true friend', highlighting the strengthening ties between Washington and Islamabad. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore, Hegseth credited Pakistan’s leadership for playing a key role in peace initiatives aimed at ending the Iran war. His remarks were later published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the event’s organizer.

Hegseth praised Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for their constructive contributions to the peace process. He said an unexpected but genuine friendship is emerging between the two nations. According to Hegseth, this growing partnership was also evident when US President Donald Trump successfully mediated to ease military tensions between India and Pakistan last year.

The comments underscore a shift in US-Pakistan relations, with both sides finding common ground in regional stability and conflict resolution efforts.