US Intervention Stopped India-Pakistan War: Jaishankar

News Desk

Islamabad: Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has confirmed that the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan was not solely a military decision but the result of intense US diplomatic intervention amid fears of full-scale conflict in South Asia.

In a candid interview with Newsweek, Jaishankar disclosed that Washington played a decisive role in halting hostilities in May, just days after India launched retaliatory strikes against Pakistan following a deadly terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

According to Jaishankar, the turning point came on the night of May 9, when US Vice President JD Vance personally called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I was in the room,” said Jaishankar. “Vice President Vance warned that if we didn’t agree to certain ceasefire terms, Pakistan was prepared to launch a significant counteroffensive.”

Jaishankar added that the Indian government, aware of Pakistan’s military posture, was prepared to respond. “That night, Pakistan launched a large-scale attack. We retaliated immediately,” he said.

But it was the following morning, when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called him directly to push for de-escalation, that momentum for dialogue began.

The diplomatic backchanneling followed the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed 26 lives. India blames Pakistan-based groups for orchestrating the attack — a claim Islamabad firmly denies.

Tensions Peak, Then Subside Under Pressure

India launched cross-border strikes on May 7, triggering a series of drone and missile attacks between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The tit-for-tat attacks raised global alarm, with the United States swiftly stepping in to mediate. By May 10, a ceasefire was in place — an outcome US President Donald Trump later hailed as a “crisis averted.”

Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, have acknowledged the US role in de-escalating the crisis, though Islamabad maintains it had no hand in the Kashmir incident.

Jaishankar reiterated New Delhi’s hardened position on cross-border militancy: “We want to make it absolutely clear — there will be no freedom for terrorists to operate. Proxy warfare will not be tolerated.”

He added, “We will not allow nuclear blackmail to prevent us from defending ourselves. The idea that nuclear deterrence ties India’s hands is outdated. If something bad happens to us, we will cross the border and respond.”

Strategic Calculations

Jaishankar’s remarks highlight the delicate balancing act the United States must perform in maintaining ties with both South Asian rivals, while reinforcing Washington’s role as a crisis manager in an increasingly volatile region.

Analysts view the May conflict as a significant inflection point in Indo-Pak relations not just for the military escalation, but for the growing sentiment in India that strategic restraint has reached its limit. “The Pahalgam attack was a turning point,” Jaishankar asserted. “Enough is enough.”

The revelation also raises questions about the limits of deterrence in a region fraught with historical hostility and nuclear capability on both sides. With both countries having come to the brink of war once again it underscores how external diplomatic pressure remains a critical safeguard against disaster.