‘Will Take Half the World Down With Us’: Pak Army Chief Asim Munir’s Nuclear Threat to India From US Soil
In an unprecedented and chilling statement from American soil, Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has reportedly issued a direct nuclear threat against India, warning that Islamabad would “take half the world down” if it faced an existential crisis. The remarks, delivered during a black-tie dinner in Tampa, Florida, mark the first known instance of a nuclear threat being issued from US territory against a third country and have dramatically escalated regional tensions.
During the event hosted by businessman and honorary consul Adnan Asad, Munir told attendees, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” He didn’t stop there, taking specific aim at India over the control of the Indus River.
“We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, we will destroy it with ten missiles,” Munir was quoted as saying, adding, “The Indus river is not the Indians’ family property… We have no shortage of missiles, Alhumdulillah.” The speech was reportedly delivered at a private event where guests were barred from carrying electronic devices.
While boasting of Pakistan’s military might, Munir also offered a stark, if crude, analogy of the two nations’ standing. “India is shining a Mercedes coming on a highway like Ferrari, but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?” he reportedly asked. He also attempted to cast aspersions on India’s global standing, citing the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada and the Kulbhushan Jadhav case as “irrefutable evidence” of India’s alleged international wrongdoing.
Munir’s visit, his second to the US in two months, was officially to attend the change-of-command ceremony at the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and meet with senior American military figures, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.
This trip follows a rare five-day visit in June, where Munir attended a private luncheon with President Donald Trump, which led to announcements of enhanced US-Pakistan cooperation. His latest inflammatory rhetoric comes just weeks after a top US general described Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counterterrorism.
