KEY POINTS
- The US will not intervene directly, calling the India-Pakistan conflict "fundamentally none of our business"
- Vance urged both nations to de-escalate, expressing concern over the possibility of a broader regional or nuclear war
- He emphasized the limits of US influence, stating, “We can’t control these countries,” and called for “cooler heads” to prevail
Amid rising hostilities between India and Pakistan triggered by a deadly terrorist attack and subsequent cross-border military actions, United States Vice President JD Vance made it clear that the US will not directly intervene, even as it urges both nuclear-armed nations to step back from the brink of war.
In a televised interview on Friday, Vance stated, “We’re not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business.” While acknowledging the seriousness of the standoff, he emphasized that it is essentially a regional conflict. “We’re concerned any time nuclear powers collide and have a major conflict,” he added.
India Pakistan tensions
Breaking: US Vice President JD Vance says
"We’re not going to get involved in the middle of war that’s fundamentally none of our business.."
Vdo Ctsy: Fox News pic.twitter.com/bjeVXWDZHD
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 8, 2025
Vance’s remarks came a day after India launched a series of targeted strikes under the banner of Operation Sindoor. The operation, conducted across the Line of Control (LoC), aimed at what India described as “terror infrastructure” located in both Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes were in direct response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian civilians.
Following the Indian offensive, Pakistan retaliated late Thursday night by attempting missile and drone strikes on several Indian military installations. Among the intended targets were bases in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur, and other strategic locations. However, the Indian Ministry of Defence reported that its air defence systems successfully intercepted and neutralized the incoming threats. The government in New Delhi later released a statement reaffirming that India remains “fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people.”
Vance, whose family happened to be on an official visit to India when the Pahalgam attack occurred, acknowledged the gravity of the escalating situation. However, he reiterated that the US has limited capacity to control developments in the region. “Fundamentally, India has its gripes with Pakistan. Pakistan has responded to India. What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit,” he said.
Expressing cautious optimism, Vance added, “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.” He emphasized the role of diplomacy and urged both nations to exercise restraint. “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.”
Vance’s comments followed an earlier reaction from President Donald Trump, who also weighed in on the India-Pakistan confrontation. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump remarked, “It’s a shame. We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve been fighting for many, many decades and centuries, if you think about it. I hope it ends very quickly.”
The White House, while refraining from taking sides, has expressed concern over the conflict’s potential to destabilize South Asia, especially given the nuclear capabilities of both nations.
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