Modi shattered Pak’s nuclear bogey and then, made a “tactical retreat”. The US and Israel may, however, find themselves embroiled in an open-ended, escalating Iran war — with little clarity on the endgame.

While the world watches a relentless war unfold in the Middle East — with Israel and the United States locked in a seemingly unending military conflict against Iran after hitting its strategic and nuclear sites — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “tactical retreat” after achieving the larger objectives of Op Sindoor against Pakistan has redefined the global war doctrine.

After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Op Sindoor not only dismantled the myth of invincibility surrounding nuclear-armed Pakistan but also rewrote the rules of modern military engagement. Israel and the US striking Iranian nuclear sites in the past few days is, in many ways, an extension of the war doctrine redefined by India.

For the first time since the 1971 war, India struck deep inside Pakistan — with clinical precision, neutralised nine airbases, dismantled key air defence systems, and reportedly targeted the heavily fortified Kyriana Hills, widely believed to house Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals. The use of the indigenously developed BrahMos missile in these strikes sent a clear message — not just to Pakistan, but to the world.

Modi shattered the nuclear bogey in just four days and then, “tactically retreated”. That war, if allowed to spiral, is exactly what India’s adversaries — such as China and some Western powers — might have quietly desired to weaken India’s rise. Such a conflict could have devastated India’s economy, led to large-scale loss of human life, and destroyed strategic assets, setting the country back by decades, just as we are witnessing today in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Modi is known for being a bold leader and for his refusal to back down but not many had the idea that he also knows — when to stop. Unlike India, however, the US and Israel may find themselves embroiled in an open-ended, escalating war — with little clarity on the endgame.

While the Middle East slides into deeper chaos — with mounting civilian casualties, volatile oil markets, and instability looming — India under Modi has emerged as a model of measured power. This was the essence of the new Indian military doctrine: strike with strength, pause with purpose.

The decision to pause Op Sindoor was not guided by any Trump-era trade threats, but was triggered by backchannel communications from Pakistan’s DGMO, who sought a ceasefire after Pakistan suffered heavy damage. India had already made its point. The adversary had been punished and its nuclear bluff had been called.

Much to the disappointment of opposition parties eager to pull down Modi at any cost — and to those global powers who see India as a rising economic challenge — Modi’s decision averted a prolonged conflict and also denied countries like the US the opportunity to place India and Pakistan on the same pedestal — a game the US and President Donald Trump have continued to play by seeking to “hyphenate” the two nations, even trying to equate Modi with Pakistani Field Marshal General Munir.

Trump — who had never realised what India could do to Pakistan in just four days, or how it could shift the regional power balance — has relentlessly pushed this outdated Western playbook. He has also gone overboard to project and oversell America as the most credible arms supplier in the world, repeatedly insisting that US military equipment remains unmatched. Trump is, however, aware of what India’s indigenously developed BrahMos and Akash missiles achieved during the recent Indo-Pak conflict, and is increasingly wary of India’s growing influence in Southeast Asia — independent of the Western powers.

During the G7 summit in Canada, for reasons best known to him, Trump avoided meeting Modi but later spoke to the latter on the phone and extended an invitation for a meeting in Washington — around the same time Munir was scheduled to be in America. Modi, however, refused. That rejection was not just diplomatic — it was symbolic. India, under Modi, is clear: we will act on our terms.

Predictably, Western media outlets too tried their old trick of equating India and Pakistan, painting the standoff as symmetrical. But that narrative is now dead. Even President Trump, who dreams of a Nobel Peace Prize by projecting himself as a peacemaker, must acknowledge that India had rewritten the rules of warfare involving nuclear-armed nations.

Back home, however, parts of the opposition — especially the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi —attempted to downplay India’s military success, even echoing the language of Pakistan. Some of their statements against Modi and the military went viral across Pakistani media. One wonders — would anyone in Israel do that after Iran’s near-daily missile barrages?

In a democracy, critical analysis of the government’s functioning is essential. But what Rahul Gandhi did was not scrutiny — it was an attempt to run down the Modi government. The Indian public, however, may have seen through this.

Not to forget, whatever India may have lost financially during the four-day conflict will be recovered. Because Op Sindoor became a branding exercise for Modi to showcase India’s indigenous defence capabilities. The BrahMos missile and Akash defence system exceeded expectations. Countries are now lining up to buy these systems. India is no longer just a buyer of global defence tech — it is poised to emerge as a credible global arms supplier. And the world has taken note.

Eleven years after Modi became Prime Minister of India, the world has had no choice but to acknowledge India’s decisiveness and sovereignty. Even with China openly backing Pakistan during the four-day conflict, India stood its ground.

Now, as Israel and the US get dragged deeper into military quagmires with Iran in the Middle East, many global leaders and military planners would do well to study the Modi Doctrine — the art of “tactical retreat,” knowing when to assert and when to stop.

The world’s changing perception of Modi was on full display when Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, meeting him at the G7, said on camera: “You are the best — I want to be like you.” She even tweeted the video herself. For India, no endorsement could be more telling.

At a time when Ukraine is at war, the Middle East is on fire, and Africa is plagued with coups, India — home to 140 crore people — remains sovereign, stable, and more secure than many other countries.

Modi’s “tactical retreat” should be seen not as a withdrawal, but as a calculated pause. A new military and geopolitical doctrine has been born. In the days ahead, whether Trump or Netanyahu will be able to do the same with Iran remains a million-dollar question.