US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had separate conversations with India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He urged both countries to reduce tensions after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people, most of them tourists.

According to news agency PTI, during his call with S. Jaishankar and Shehbaz Sharif, Rubio assured that the US stands with India in its fight against terrorism. He also asked Pakistan to fully cooperate in the investigation of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Rubio told Sharif it’s important to strongly condemn the attack that happened in the Valley. He also urged both India and Pakistan to work together to maintain peace and reduce tensions between the two countries. Both Rubio and Sharif agreed on the importance of holding terrorists accountable for their actions. Rubio also shared his sadness over the loss of lives in the terrorist attack that took place in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam.

Since the attack on April 22, tensions between India and Pakistan have increased. Both countries have taken tough actions against each other. India stopped the Indus Waters Treaty from the 1960s and shut down the Attari border. In response, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian planes and put the Simla Agreement on hold. On Wednesday, the Indian government blocked the Instagram accounts of several well-known Pakistani celebrities, such as Hania Amir, Ali Zafar, and Mahira Khan, making them inaccessible in India. Earlier, the government had also blocked over 15 Pakistani YouTube channels, accusing them of spreading false information. Meanwhile, tensions have been rising along the Line of Control (LoC), where Pakistani forces have been violating the ceasefire over the past week in multiple nearby districts.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting with top defence officials—Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and the three service chiefs. During the meeting, the Prime Minister made it clear that the Indian Armed Forces have full freedom to choose the targets, timing, and method of response to the recent Pahalgam attack.