US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged India and Pakistan to refrain from escalating tensions following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. He is expected to convey this message directly to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in upcoming phone calls.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, reading out Rubio’s statement on Tuesday, emphasized, “We are reaching out to both parties and telling them not to escalate the situation.” She also noted that the Secretary has encouraged other world leaders to echo this appeal to both nations.

Rubio’s message comes in the wake of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving the armed forces full operational freedom to determine the time, method, and targets of a possible response. The directive followed a high-level meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, and the chiefs of India’s armed forces.

President Donald Trump also spoke with Prime Minister Modi soon after the Pahalgam attack, where Modi asserted India’s resolve to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice, clearly indicating Pakistan’s alleged involvement.

Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, voiced US support for India’s efforts to “hunt down” those responsible for the attack via a post on X.

As tensions escalate in the region, the US administration continues to press for restraint and diplomatic engagement between the nuclear-armed neighbors.