Shockwaves rippled through Washington and New Delhi on October 15, 2025, as news broke that Ashley Tellis, a veteran foreign policy expert renowned for his role in shaping US-India relations, had been arrested by US law enforcement. The charges: unlawfully retaining classified national security documents and repeatedly meeting with Chinese officials over the past several years. The arrest stunned policy circles in both capitals, fueling intense debate and speculation about its implications for international diplomacy and the already complex US-India-China triangle.
According to prosecutors, Tellis could face up to 10 years in prison and a hefty fine of $250,000 if convicted. The allegations center on his alleged removal of classified documents from secure government locations and his ongoing interactions with Chinese officials since at least 2023. As reported by Hindustan Times and other outlets, the gravity of the charges left many in disbelief. “When I first saw the news, I thought that it just couldn’t be right. When I told my bosses about it, some of whom know Tellis, they didn’t believe it either. It was only after I showed them an article that they believed it and they looked really disappointed,” one foreign policy analyst told HT on condition of anonymity.
Tellis is hardly a household name, but within diplomatic and strategic circles, he’s long been considered a leading light. Born in India and educated in Mumbai, Tellis moved to the United States to pursue a PhD at the University of Chicago. Over the decades, he carved out a reputation as a top authority on US-India relations, nuclear policy, and American grand strategy. As Hindustan Times and other sources recount, Tellis was instrumental in the negotiation and passage of the landmark US-India civil nuclear agreement during the George W. Bush administration. He worked closely with Indian officials, including the current External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, to finalize the deal—a move widely seen as a turning point in bilateral relations.
His influence didn’t stop there. During the first Trump administration, Tellis was rumored to be under consideration for the post of US Ambassador to India. Even after leaving government service, he remained a respected commentator and advisor, maintaining close ties with strategic establishments in both Washington and New Delhi. In 2022, Tellis published a book on India’s foreign policy, which was praised by Jaishankar and further cemented his reputation as a bridge between the two nations.
The allegations, then, struck many as not just surprising but deeply unsettling. “Shocking for me and for the entire DC foreign policy community. Ashley Tellis has been accused of unlawfully removing classified documents from secure government locations and holding multiple meetings with Chinese officials dating back to 2023,” wrote Mohammed Soliman of the Washington-based Middle East Institute on X, as reported by Hindustan Times. Another scholar told HT, “To say that this news is a shock to the community is an understatement, and the effects and anxieties amongst the tight-knit India policy community will ripple out.”
Colleagues and acquaintances quickly took to social media to express their disbelief and support for due process. Christopher Clary, associate professor at the University of Albany, reflected on his long acquaintance with Tellis: “I first met Ashley Tellis in 2002 and he has been unfailingly polite and thoughtful in countless interactions since that time, even when we have disagreed on substantive matters. I wish him fairness and compassion as the legal process unfolds.”
Yet not all reactions were sympathetic. In India, some political leaders seized on the moment to revisit longstanding criticisms of Tellis’s views. Over the years, some of his writings—particularly his 2023 essay for Foreign Affairs titled “America’s Bad Bet on India”—sparked controversy and debate. In that essay, Tellis offered a more skeptical assessment of the US-India partnership, warning that India’s drive for a multipolar world, its insistence on strategic autonomy, and its reluctance to align closely with Washington could limit the relationship’s potential. He also highlighted concerns about India’s slowing economic growth and rising social divisions, challenging what he saw as overly optimistic narratives about India’s rise.
For some in India, the arrest seemed to validate suspicions about Tellis’s motives. BJP leader Amit Malviya was quick to comment on social media: “This explains why Ashley Tellis, often cited and celebrated by India’s opposition, spoke so frequently and harshly against us. The forces working against India are beginning to unravel in ways few could have imagined.” According to HT, Tellis’s 2023 essay became a “prominent rallying piece for those wanting decreased strategic investment in India from the US point of view.”
Amid the swirl of accusations and counteraccusations, some voices urged caution and perspective. Bruno Tertrais, a strategist research expert, defended Tellis’s professional conduct: “My good friend Ashley Tellis may have been careless with classified documents (though less than the current US president) but meeting with Chinese officials is part of his job. Also, to the best of my knowledge he is not a DoS employee.” Tertrais’s comment highlights a crucial nuance: in the world of foreign policy, engagement with officials from rival nations is often a routine—if fraught—part of the job. The line between professional outreach and potential security breaches can be perilously thin, especially in an era of heightened geopolitical tensions.
Tellis’s career trajectory underscores just how intertwined personal, professional, and national interests can become. After decades spent building bridges between Washington and New Delhi, his arrest now threatens to cast a shadow over the very partnership he helped nurture. The allegations come at a time of growing competition between the US and China, and as both Washington and New Delhi navigate a world where old alliances are being tested and new power centers are emerging.
For the foreign policy community, the case raises uncomfortable questions about transparency, loyalty, and the risks inherent in cross-border engagement. Was Tellis simply doing his job, as some of his defenders claim, or did he cross a line that should never be breached? And what does his arrest mean for the future of US-India relations—especially at a moment when both countries are recalibrating their approaches to an increasingly assertive China?
As the legal process unfolds, many who have known and worked with Tellis are left grappling with uncertainty. The story serves as a stark reminder of the high stakes that come with shaping global strategy—and of how quickly reputations can shift in the volatile world of international politics.
For now, the foreign policy world is holding its breath, awaiting clarity on the charges and their implications. The outcome of Ashley Tellis’s case will not only determine the fate of a single influential figure but may also reverberate through the halls of power in Washington, New Delhi, and beyond.