Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump over what he described as the “gratuitous alienation” of India.
Speaking to Indian broadcaster NDTV, Abbott said one of the biggest mistakes Trump has made so far relates to how his administration has handled relations with India.
Abbott said he is “not a universal admirer” of Trump’s foreign policy and pointed to several developments that he feels may have strained ties with New Delhi.
These include punitive tariffs on Indian goods last year, Trump’s claim that he had resolved tensions between India and Pakistan, and the decision to host Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, at the White House, noting that Pakistan has “undoubtedly sponsored terrorism against India and has been doing so intermittently for a long time.”
According to Abbott, such actions amount to what he described as the “gratuitous alienation” of India — a country he indicated should be treated as a key partner.
Some of the tariff tensions were later adjusted under a February 2026 trade agreement between the United States and India.
During the same conversation, Abbott also commented on the ongoing conflict involving Iran and Israel, saying it remains difficult to predict whether the situation could lead to regime change in Tehran. He noted that Iran’s leadership still retains support among sections of the population.
Abbott added that the worst possible outcome would be “a weakened but still functioning Islamist theocracy,” though he said Iran’s nuclear program had already suffered a significant setback.
He also observed that the scale of Iranian attacks had declined while strikes by Israel and the United States had intensified, adding that those strikes had targeted regime facilities rather than civilian infrastructure.
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