US won't intervene directly in Indo-Pak conflict: JD Vance

US Vice-President JD Vance said Washington will not intervene directly in the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, even as it pushed both sides towards de-escalation. "We're not going to get involved in the middle of a war that's fundamentally none of our business," Vance said in a television interview on Friday.

Vance, who was in India with his family on an official visit when the Pahalgam terror attack occurred, said: "We can't control these countries, though. Fundamentally, India has its gripes with Pakistan, and Pakistan has responded to India. What we can do is to urge these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we are not going to get involved in a war that is fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it." He added that while Washington is watching the conflict with concern, it does not intend to dictate terms to either side. "America can't tell the Indians to lay down their arms. We can't tell the Pakistanis to lay down their arms. And so we're going to continue to pursue this thing through diplomatic channels.""Our hope and our expectation is that this is not going to spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict. But sure, we're worried about these things," Vance said. "But I think the job of diplomacy, but also the job of cooler heads in India and Pakistan, is to make sure this doesn't become a nuclear war. If it happened, of course it would be disastrous. Right now we don't think that's going to happen."

On Thursday, the US stepped in with the secretary of state urging immediate de-escalation and expressed support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan. This message was conveyed when secretary Marco Rubio spoke with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who noted that India will firmly counter any attempts at escalation "Deeply appreciate US commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism. Underlined India's targeted and measured response to cross-border terrorism. Will firmly counter any attempts at escalation," Jaishankar wrote on X following the telephone conversation.


"The secretary emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation. He expressed US support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications. The secretary reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism," according to a readout by the US State Department.

Rubio also spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The secretary emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation. He reiterated his calls for Pakistan to take concrete steps to end any support for terrorist groups, the US State Department said.