US Urges Calm Amid Pahalgam Attack Fallout, Confirms Talks with India and Pakistan as Protests Escalate

State Department says Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in contact with both nations and has urged restraint following the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.

Washington, D.C., April 30:
The United States is closely monitoring rising tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and is actively engaging both governments at multiple levels, said US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a media briefing on Wednesday.

Bruce confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to speak directly with the foreign ministers of both countries “as early as today or tomorrow,” adding that the US is working to prevent escalation and promote a responsible resolution to the crisis.

“We’re in touch with both governments, not just at the foreign minister level, but across multiple diplomatic channels. The Secretary is encouraging restraint and urging other international leaders to engage both parties,” Bruce said in response to a question from ANI.

She also dismissed inflammatory remarks made by a Pakistani minister claiming that Pakistan had previously done the “dirty work” for the US and denying the existence of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan. Bruce did not directly address the claims but reiterated Washington’s call for regional stability and counterterrorism cooperation.

The comments come in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. The assault has drawn strong condemnation from across India and the Indian diaspora, including widespread student protests at Harvard calling for the revocation of visas for Pakistani officials.

On the domestic front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs. Government sources said the Prime Minister emphasized that the Indian Armed Forces have full operational freedom to choose the mode, timing, and targets of any response.

In a series of diplomatic escalations, India has declared Pakistani High Commission officials as Persona Non Grata, revoked SAARC visa exemptions, and suspended key bilateral arrangements including the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

“This is our national resolve—to deal a decisive blow to terrorism,” PM Modi reportedly stated during the security briefing.

The international community, including the US, is now watching the region closely as bilateral relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors enter a period of renewed tension.