Wafric News – May 11, 2025

U.S. Vice President JD Vance personally called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, urging immediate de-escalation with Pakistan, after U.S. intelligence warned of a possible dramatic escalation in the South Asian conflict, sources within the Trump administration have confirmed to WafricNews.

The call, made at noon ET, followed the receipt of what officials described as “alarming intelligence” pointing to a potential flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. While officials declined to reveal the nature of the intelligence, they said it compelled senior U.S. figures—including Secretary of State and acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles—to urgently intervene.

Until this point, Washington had adopted a relatively hands-off approach. Just a day prior, Vice President Vance publicly dismissed the conflict as "none of our business." But the rapid shift in tone underlines growing concern within U.S. security circles that the India-Pakistan standoff was spiralling toward open warfare.

“We believed there was a high probability of a major escalation over the weekend,” one senior official said. “The two sides weren’t talking, and someone had to break the silence.”

Vance, who met Modi during a diplomatic trip to India last month, was seen as having the personal rapport needed to push for a breakthrough. During their call, he reportedly urged the Indian leader to engage Pakistan directly and explore off-ramps to avoid further bloodshed. According to U.S. officials, Washington had identified certain proposals that Pakistan might find acceptable, though no details were made public.

Following Vance’s outreach, Secretary Rubio and State Department officials launched a flurry of overnight calls to both Indian and Pakistani officials, helping re-establish dormant diplomatic channels. According to officials familiar with the effort, Rubio had already been in contact with regional counterparts earlier in the week, trying to lay the groundwork for a possible ceasefire.

“There was a lot of quiet work being done to encourage the two sides to talk,” one official told WafricNews. “Once we had a sense of what each side might accept, we helped relay those insights and encouraged direct communication.”

While the Trump administration did not draft the ceasefire agreement, it played a crucial role in restarting talks and nudging both parties toward a deal.

On Saturday, intense fighting continued in Kashmir even as negotiations unfolded. Explosions were reported on both sides of the contested region. Hours later, however, Trump announced a “full and immediate ceasefire” via social media, followed by confirmation from Rubio, who praised the decision to begin broader talks at a neutral site.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce credited the breakthrough to coordinated efforts between Vance and Rubio, calling it a “beautiful partnership” that reflected President Trump’s foreign policy vision.

While Pakistan welcomed the U.S. role, issuing a statement thanking President Trump for his “proactive leadership,” India struck a more cautious tone. India’s foreign ministry claimed the ceasefire was agreed upon “directly” between New Delhi and Islamabad, omitting any mention of U.S. mediation.

The contrasting reactions come as no surprise. For decades, India has resisted foreign mediation, viewing itself as a rising global power capable of handling its own affairs. Pakistan, meanwhile, has historically been more receptive to international involvement, especially from allies like the U.S., due to its economic and strategic dependencies.

Analysts say both narratives serve domestic political needs. “India prefers to project autonomy, while Pakistan benefits from showing global support,” one South Asian affairs expert told WafricNews.

Despite the fragile ceasefire, key questions remain unanswered—chiefly, how it will be monitored and sustained, and whether deeper diplomatic engagement will follow.

For now, though, the diplomatic push appears to have averted a dangerous weekend flashpoint—a result that underscores the high stakes when rival nuclear powers come to the brink, and the often unseen hand of global diplomacy steps in.


BY WafricNews Desk.