Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Apr 30: Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, US secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on both nations to exercise restraint and avoid escalation.

According to a statement read by State department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Tuesday, Rubio is expected to speak with Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar ‘as early as today or tomorrow’ to personally convey Washington’s message of de-escalation.

“We are reaching out to both parties and urging them not to escalate the situation,” Bruce said, while also noting that the US is encouraging other global leaders to echo this message to both countries in the interest of regional stability.

Although details remain limited, Bruce confirmed that the US has already engaged both India and Pakistan through diplomatic channels beyond the foreign ministers’ level.

Rubio’s outreach comes in the wake of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong response to the Pahalgam terror attack, where he reportedly granted the Indian armed forces “complete operational freedom” to determine the response strategy. The decision was made during a high-level security meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, and military chiefs.

President Donald Trump had also spoken with PM Modi shortly after the attack. During the call, Modi affirmed India’s firm resolve to bring both the perpetrators and their backers to justice — a pointed reference to Pakistan’s alleged involvement.

In a separate statement, US director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard voiced support for India, stating in a post on X that the United States stands by India in its effort to “hunt down” those responsible for the attack.

The international community continues to monitor developments closely as diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent further deterioration of the situation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.