Vance: U.S. Can't Control India-Pakistan Nuclear Tensions

U.S. Vice President JD Vance called on India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions during a Thursday interview on Fox News, emphasizing that while Washington encourages dialogue, it cannot “control” the nuclear-armed neighbors. “A war between them is fundamentally none of our business,” Vance stated, noting the U.S. prioritizes stability but lacks leverage to mediate forcefully. His remarks reflect Washington’s cautious stance as clashes intensify, with Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warning retaliation is “increasingly certain”.

The recent crisis began on May 7 according to Pakistan's officials, when India conducted cross-border strikes that killed 31 civilians. India said it was targeting militant bases in response to a deadly attack (a claim which is still unsubstantiated) which happened on April 22, on India's side of Jammu and Kashmir (which killed 26 people), which it blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan has denied involvement and instead called for an independent investigation. Afterwards, Pakistan shot down five Indian aircraft, including advanced Rafale jets. India has denied this too, claiming that its operations were successful and no jets were lost while evidence floats around social media of downed Indian jets as well as confirmation of downed Indian jets from independent sources.

The U.S. considers India a primary partner in countering Chinese influence and Pakistan a historic ally, although the latter has often developed a limited measure of relationship with the U.S. since the Afghanistan withdrawal of August 2021. In addition, various analysts say that the U.S.'s current fixation on Ukraine and Gaza may leave it limited in terms of capacity when considered to intervene directly. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had telephone calls with the leaders of India and Pakistan this week, as he urged both countries to exercise caution and work out a resolution in terms of bilateral talks. President Donald Trump described the tension as "a shame" as he urged both countries to simply consider ceasing the "tit-for-tat."