The US military last month changed the name of the Indo-Pacific Command back to the Pacific Command. Although the Pentagon claims this is just a return to the historical name, an analysis published on Al Jazeera suggests this step heralds a profound shift in Washington's South Asia strategy.
The analysis recalls that the 'Indo' designation, added in 2018 by then-Defense Secretary James Mattis, defined India as a democratic counterbalance to China. At the time, Mattis emphasized the strategic integrity of the Pacific and Indian oceans with the analogy 'from Bollywood to Hollywood, from penguins to polar bears.'
However, the name change has led to questions about India's privileged position in the region. Indian MP Shashi Tharoor, in a post on X, asked: 'Another nail in the coffin of the Quad?' referring to the quadrilateral security dialogue between the US, Australia, India, and Japan.
According to the analysis, the real significant development is Washington's abandonment of the approach of viewing India as a regional subcontractor in South Asia. The US is now building direct and closer relationships with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. These countries are being engaged as actors with their own interests and agency, not as extensions of India's regional policy.
The case of Pakistan clearly illustrates this transformation. Islamabad has changed the equation with a diplomatic 'charm offensive'. Army Chief General Asim Munir is positioning Pakistan as a strategic connector between Gulf capital, American technology, and Pacific economies seeking critical minerals. Trillion-dollar reserves, such as the Reko Diq copper and gold deposits, could provide an alternative to China-dominated supply chains.
Bangladesh, with its 170 million population and strategic location on the Bay of Bengal, is attracting growing attention. The analysis suggests that the US could gain influence in the region by leading a humanitarian intervention for the return of Rohingya Muslims.
The analysis argues that these developments show that India's regional veto has ended. Washington has stopped viewing South Asian capitals as mere extensions of New Delhi. While the US is not completely severing ties with India, it is moving from a romantic partnership to a pragmatic, line-by-line cooperation. The Pentagon's removal of the 'Indo' designation is seen as the formalization of a shift already visible on the ground.
