TEHRAN - An indication of growing strains between Islamabad and Washington, the U.S. government has reportedly started cutting Pakistani officers from training and educational programs that were a key aspect of Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relations for more than a decade, according to media reports.

Citing anonymous U.S. officials, Reuters said they were worried the decision could weaken the U.S.-Pakistan relations further, forcing Islamabad to turn to Russia or China for assistance.

The move, the report said, is one of the first major impacts of Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would cut security aid to Pakistan to compel the country to crack down on terror sanctuaries.

With the growing proximity between Pakistan and China, the relations between Islamabad and Washington have nosedived. China has already extended several loans to Pakistan for the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is described as ‘game-changer’ in the region.

The relations between the two countries have frayed since the U.S. President Donald Trump’s New Year tweet in which he launched a tirade against Pakistan, invoking widespread anger and outrage in Pakistan. In his tweet, the US called Pakistan a ‘safe haven’ for terrorists and said that the “United States had foolishly given more than 33 billion dollars in aid to over the last 15 years.”