India’s Proximity Archives
South Asia
The Resistance Front (TRF), responsible for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack was formally designated by the United States Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on July 18.%u202F The United States Department of State identified TRF as a front and proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT). According to the press release, Pahalgam attack was the deadliest against civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, carried out by LeT. The Indian government endorsed this decision.
Southeast Asia
On July 22, US President Donald Trump hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with the aim of deepening strategic and economic cooperation between the two countries amid growing regional tensions, particularly with China. Following the meeting, US President Donald Trump announced that he has reached a trade agreement with the Philippine leader. President Trump revealed the broad terms of the agreement on his social media network, stating that Philippines will pay 19% tariff and said the two countries would also work together militarily.
East Asia
China has begun constructing the world’s largest hydropower dam, the Motuo Hydropower Station, on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. On this $167 billion project, which is set to surpass the Three Gorges Dam in scale and energy generation, India and Bangladesh have raised concerns due to its environmental impact and geopolitical consequences. The construction could give China significant control over water flow to downstream regions of the Brahmaputra river, including India's northeastern states and Bangladesh, potentially threatening livelihoods and ecosystems. Both India and Bangladesh have demanded transparency and consultation, but Chinese officials have responded by reiterating China's "legitimate right" to develop the dam while promising to consider downstream impacts. Media Reports suggest that India plans to construct a hydropower dam on the Siang River as a strategic buffer to mitigate the risk of sudden water releases from China's dam and to prevent potential flooding in downstream areas of its territory.
West Asia
On July 19, Thomas Barrack, US Envoy for Syria, indicated that Sunni Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from Syria’s Druze-majority province of Sweida after days of fighting. In response to Israeli accusations that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was complicit in sectarian attack on the Druze community, the US called upon the Syrian leader to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach or risk losing international support. Al-Sharaa reminded the Bedouins that they “cannot replace the state in handling domestic affairs and restoring security, and that they must adhere to the ceasefire and comply with Damascus' orders”.
Central Asia
On July 19, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, said he wanted Russia to publicly acknowledge that it had accidentally shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December last year, and to punish those responsible. While Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised at the time for what the Kremlin called a “tragic incident”, he stopped short of saying Russia had shot down the aircraft. President Aliyev further stated that Azerbaijan is preparing to file lawsuits against Russia in international courts over the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft while accusing Moscow of stalling the investigation and failing to respond meaningfully to Baku’s demands.
Indian Ocean Region
INS Nistar, the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 18, 2025, marking a significant milestone as India’s first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV). The commissioning took place in Visakhapatnam in the presence of Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth. Built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, INS Nistar is the first of two DSVs planned for the Indian Navy. The vessel is equipped to perform complex deep-sea saturation diving missions, matching capabilities held only by select navies worldwide. INS Nistar serves as the ‘Mother Ship’ for deep submergence rescue vessels (DSRVs), which are essential for rescuing and evacuating crew from submarines stranded at considerable depths.
