Vance had to call PM Modi, US receives ‘Alarming Intelligence’ On Friday
New Delhi: As India and Pakistan teetered on the edge of a full-blown conflict, US Vice President JD Vance directly reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage talks toward a ceasefire. On Friday morning, the US received “alarming intelligence”, Trump administration officials told CNN.
While they did not disclose the nature of the intelligence due to its sensitivity, the report added that it was instrumental in prompting urgent action from the top US leadership, including Vance, interim National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
US reportedly believed that the nuclear-armed neighbours were not in communication and viewed its role as essential in getting them to resume dialogue. This marked an abrupt turnaround for Vance, who just days ago said that the US is not going to get involved in a war that’s “fundamentally none of our business”.
“What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we’re not going to get involved in the middle of war that’s fundamentally none of our business,” Vance said on Fox News.
But on Saturday, Vance urged PM Modi to engage Pakistan directly and “consider options for de-escalation,” the report said. The US Vice President, who was on an official visit to India with his family when the Pahalgam carnage took place, had struck up a rapport with the PM, which came in clutch for the US intervention.
Rubio and other State Department officials also called their counterparts in New Delhi and Islamabad. However, the Trump administration was not part of negotiations, with their role limited to facilitating dialogue between the two rivals, the report added.
“There was a lot of effort going on to try and tamp down escalation earlier in the week, and it was clear at that point that the two sides weren’t talking,” a US official told CNN. Another added that through these diplomatic efforts, US officials helped “bridge some of that communications divide” to allow negotiations to resume.
The ceasefire, announced Saturday following intense cross-border military actions from both sides, was confirmed by President Trump on social media. “I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,” Rubio posted shortly after.
While Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for his “leadership and proactive role”, India did not mention any foreign involvement. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday evening said that the ceasefire was agreed upon “directly” between the two nations.