Did US Secretary of State Contact India and Pakistan Amid Rising Tensions?

Washington, May 10 (NationPress) On Saturday (Indian time), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in discussions with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, urging the need to de-escalate tensions along the India-Pakistan border while offering US support for facilitating constructive negotiations to avert further conflicts.

According to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, "Secretary Rubio stressed the importance of both nations identifying strategies to de-escalate and re-initiate direct communication to prevent any miscalculations. He also suggested US assistance in fostering productive dialogues to avoid future disputes."

EAM Jaishankar shared on social media, "This morning, I spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. India's stance has consistently been measured and responsible, and that remains unchanged."

Rubio also connected with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on the same day, reiterating the call for de-escalation.

"Rubio emphasized the necessity for both parties to discover ways to defuse the ongoing situation and restore direct communication to sidestep miscalculations. He also extended US help in initiating constructive conversations to prevent future conflicts," stated the US State Department.

Following unsuccessful talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rubio reached out to the central figure of Pakistan's military, Army Chief Asim Munir, in a bid to mitigate tensions with India.

This communication occurred as tensions rose between Pakistan and India, escalating their confrontations beyond Kashmir and into deeper territories.

"The US President desires a rapid de-escalation of tensions," said Donald Trump's spokesperson Karoline Levitt on Friday (US time).

"This is an issue that Secretary Rubio, along with our National Security Advisor, has been deeply engaged in," she added.

Rubio had previously spoken with Sharif on Thursday (US time), stressing the urgent need for de-escalation, Bruce noted in a statement regarding that call.

On the same day, he had also reached out to EAM Jaishankar, advocating for de-escalation while affirming the US commitment to collaborate with India in combating terrorism, according to the spokesperson.

Following India's launch of 'Operation Sindoor', the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval made the initial international call to Rubio. Notably, Rubio has taken on the role of National Security Advisor succeeding Mike Waltz.

India initiated this operation in retaliation for an attack by a front organization of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, resulting in the tragic deaths of 26 individuals in a religiously targeted massacre in Pahalgam last month.