US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, urging cooperation with Pakistan to de-escalate regional tensions. The conversation comes amid rising hostilities following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Rubio expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident and reiterated the United States’ commitment to counterterrorism cooperation with India. According to a statement from US State Department spokesperson Tami Bruce, both sides reaffirmed their desire to ensure peace in South Asia.
This diplomatic outreach follows Rubio’s earlier phone call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where the PM highlighted Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror — over 90,000 lives and $152 billion in economic damage. PM Shehbaz also stressed the need for a peaceful resolution and condemned India’s provocative behavior.
Rubio emphasized the importance of continued engagement between both countries, stating that joint efforts are crucial to maintaining peace and stability in the region. The US appears to be playing a balancing role in calming tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbors.