Morning Brief: Trump To Meet Pakistan Army Chief; MoD To Replace Trials With Simulations To Speed Up Procurement; Iran’s Supreme Leader Transfers Power To Military; And More

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Trump To Meet Pakistan Army Chief

US President Donald Trump is set to meet Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir over lunch in Washington, a move seen as part of Islamabad’s renewed lobbying effort to rehabilitate its global image amid growing scrutiny of its military leadership.

Munir’s visit comes at a time when Trump is eyeing business expansion, including crypto-linked ventures with Gulf-based investors—many of whom maintain ties with Pakistani elites. Trump is also reportedly keen to portray himself as a peacemaker in South Asia, hoping to claim credit for averting an India-Pakistan conflict.

However, the optics of this meeting are unlikely to go down well in New Delhi, especially after Munir's recent inflammatory rhetoric targeting India and Hindus, which India believes led to the Pahalgam terror attack.

MoD To Replace Trials With Simulations To Accelerate Procurement

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is implementing reforms to expedite procurement by compressing timelines and replacing lengthy field evaluation trials with digitisation and simulations, The Indian Express has reported. These measures focus on faster negotiations and contract awards, quicker payments to private vendors, and boosting domestic production of items like anti-drone equipment and smart ammunition.

The MoD has acknowledged challenges in spending its Rs 6.81 lakh crore budget for 2025-26, with only Rs 4,384 crore of the Rs 1.8 lakh crore capital expenditure utilised in April, and is prioritising interoperability and private sector involvement to meet strategic needs.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Transfers Power To Military Amid Israeli Strikes

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has transferred key powers to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as tensions with Israel escalate, with reports indicating he has relocated to an underground bunker in northeast Tehran with his family, including son Mojtaba. The move follows Israeli airstrikes that killed senior IRGC officials, including top commander Ali Shadmani, creating a strategic vacuum in Khamenei’s inner circle.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that eliminating Khamenei would end the conflict, as both nations exchanged missiles for the sixth consecutive day on 18 June 2025. The escalating crisis has raised fears of broader US involvement, with Trump warning that US patience with Iran is “wearing thin.”

Other Developments

India, Canada To Restore High Commissioners As Modi, Carney Reset Ties

In a diplomatic breakthrough, India and Canada have agreed to reinstate High Commissioners in each other’s capitals, signaling a reset in ties months after relations deteriorated under former PM Justin Trudeau. The decision came after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis.

Trump Demands Iran's Surrender

President Donald Trump abruptly left the G7 summit in Calgary on June 16, 2025, to address the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender" and warning that the US knows the location of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though he is safe "for now." Speaking on Air Force One, Trump rejected ceasefire talks, insisting on a "complete give-up" of Iran's nuclear program.

The move has alarmed some MAGA supporters, with commentator Tucker Carlson criticising US involvement, arguing it contradicts Trump's anti-war stance, while Vice President JD Vance defended the president, claiming Iran violated IAEA non-proliferation rules by enriching uranium beyond civilian needs.

US Sends More Fighter Jets To West Asia As Israel-Iran War Escalates

The US military is reinforcing its presence in West Asia by deploying additional F-16, F-22, and F-35 fighter jets and extending existing warplane missions to counter escalating tensions in the Israel-Iran conflict, according to three US officials. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasised the defensive nature of these deployments, aimed at protecting U.S. forces from potential retaliation by Iran and its allies.

The deployments include a significant movement of tanker aircraft to Europe and the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the Middle East, enhancing US military options in the region. A fourth official suggested additional navy warships capable of intercepting ballistic missiles may be deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean.

From The States

TN: ASI Director Removed Amid Keeladi Dating Dispute

The Center has removed Amarnath Ramakrishna as ASI director (antiquity) following disputes over the dating of Keeladi archaeological finds in Tamil Nadu, which Ramakrishna’s report dated to the 8th century BCE. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and ASI director Hemasagar A Naik challenged the report’s scientific validity, with Naik now appointed to head the antiquities department.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin criticised the Centre, defending the findings that support the state’s narrative of ancient Dravidian glory. Ramakrishna, who will continue leading the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities, has defended his report.

Calcutta HC Stays Bengal's OBC List

The Calcutta High Court has issued an interim stay until 31 July on the West Bengal government's notification for a new Other Backward Class (OBC) list, which included 140 sub-classifications, following a petition challenging the rapid survey conducted by the state. The division bench responded to concerns raised by petitioners, who argued that the survey, completed in just one month, did not adhere to Supreme Court guidelines. The court's decision has sparked uncertainty in college admissions.

The BJP in West Bengal welcomed the verdict, with leader Suvendu Adhikari calling it a triumph of judicial fairness against the state's alleged appeasement politics, particularly citing the inclusion of nearly 90 per cent Muslim groups in the new list.