U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has expressed hope that India’s response to the recent deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir will not trigger a broader regional conflict, as tensions continue to rise between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan.
Speaking on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Vance addressed the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people—mostly tourists—in one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000.
“We hope India will respond in a manner that avoids a wider regional conflict,” said Vance. “And to the extent Pakistan bears responsibility, we urge them to cooperate with India to ensure terrorists who occasionally operate from their soil are identified and dealt with.”
India has accused Pakistan of being linked to the attack, without providing concrete evidence—an allegation firmly rejected by Islamabad. Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership has demanded an independent investigation into the incident.
The Biden administration, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has condemned the attack as “inhuman terrorism,” expressed solidarity with India, but refrained from directly blaming Pakistan.
The U.S. has strategic interests with both nations—India as a counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific, and Pakistan as a long-standing, though currently diminished, ally post-U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The State Department confirmed ongoing contact with both countries at “multiple levels,” and that Secretary Rubio has spoken with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging both sides to seek a “responsible resolution.”
Tensions have continued to spiral since the attack: India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a key water-sharing agreement; both nations closed airspace to each other’s airlines; and cross-border firing has erupted along the Line of Control (LoC).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed justice for the victims, while Foreign Minister Jaishankar emphasized that the perpetrators “must face the full weight of justice.” Pakistan, meanwhile, warns of possible Indian military action and maintains that any escalation would be unjustified and destabilizing.
