In a dramatic revelation that sheds new light on the recent India-Pakistan military standoff, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has disclosed that U.S. Vice President JD Vance personally warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a looming large-scale attack by Pakistan, reported by The News. The call, placed on the night of May 9, urged India to consider unspecified conditions to avoid escalation.
“I was in the room when Vice President Vance spoke to Prime Minister Modi,” Jaishankar told a U.S. media outlet. “He warned that the Pakistanis would launch a very massive assault if we did not accept certain things. That night, Pakistan did launch the attack.”
The revelation follows the military flare-up between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, triggered by the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir (IIOJK). India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, prompting a swift and aggressive military response.
Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, targeting multiple Indian military sites. Islamabad claims it downed six Indian fighter jets—including three Rafales—and dozens of drones. The conflict, which raged for nearly four days, ended on May 10 with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire on social media, taking credit for defusing the crisis through high-level diplomacy. While New Delhi has downplayed Trump’s role, Islamabad has publicly lauded it—going so far as to nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
Meanwhile, the Quad alliance—comprising the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia—issued a statement condemning the Pahalgam attack but notably refrained from naming Pakistan, a diplomatic omission that has drawn scrutiny in South Asia.
The incident underscores the volatile nature of India-Pakistan relations and the continued influence of American diplomacy in South Asian geopolitics.
