New Delhi: US President Donald Trump helped deescalate recent India-Pakistan tensions, with both sides showing no intent to return to open conflict, according to the latest Annual Threat Assessment of the US intelligence community, which nevertheless warns that the region remains vulnerable to sudden crises triggered by militant attacks.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in its 2026 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA), published on March 18, that South Asia continues to pose “enduring security challenges” for Washington, with India-Pakistan ties carrying a persistent risk of escalation between two nuclear-armed neighbours. It notes that past confrontations underscore how quickly tensions can spiral, particularly after high-casualty incidents.The report cited the terrorist attack near Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians, as having “demonstrated the dangers of terrorist attacks sparking conflict” between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought multiple wars since independence.“President Trump’s intervention deescalated the most recent nuclear tensions, and we assess that neither country seeks to return to open conflict, but that conditions exist for terrorist actors to continue to create catalysts for crises,” the report stated.The assessment made in the report comes against the backdrop of Trump repeatedly claiming in public that he ended the confrontation between India and Pakistan after four days of clashes in May 2025, triggered by the Pahalgam attack.Trump has since repeated over 70 times, in speeches, social media, and interviews, that he personally brokered the May 10 ceasefire by threatening 200% tariffs and thus averted a nuclear war. He has also claimed that five to 10 jets were shot down.India has maintained that de-escalation resulted from direct communication between New Delhi and Islamabad and reiterating that it does not accept third-party mediation. Pakistan, however, has not disputed Trump’s claims and has instead welcomed them, even nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize.Beyond bilateral tensions, the report also outlines wider security concerns affecting India’s strategic environment. It notes that ISIS-K “maintains a foothold in the region and aspires to conduct external attacks,” though “the Taliban is improving its security services and has taken aggressive action against it.”The assessment further states that “India also is developing new and longer-range nuclear delivery systems,” placing New Delhi alongside China, Russia, North Korea and Pakistan as countries modernising or expanding their nuclear arsenals. The report projected that threats to the US homeland from missiles globally would grow to more than 16,000 by 2035 from the current figure of over 3,000.The report also highlights Pakistan’s military developments, noting that it is “developing increasingly sophisticated missile technology” that could eventually extend beyond South Asia, adding to regional security concerns.In a separate section, the report identifies India in global narcotics supply chains, stating that “China and India remain the primary source countries for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment.” It adds that “India has increased counternarcotics efforts during the last year” and that Indian government have “signaled a willingness to deepen engagement with the U.S. on counternarcotics.”