The US State Department said on Sunday that Washington is in contact with both India and Pakistan, urging them to work towards a “responsible solution” as tensions between the two nations rise following a recent Islamist militant attack in Kashmir.
While publicly supporting India after the attack, the US government has refrained from criticizing Pakistan. India accused Pakistan of being responsible for the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed more than two dozen people. Pakistan has denied the allegations and called for an independent investigation.
“This is an evolving situation, and we are monitoring developments closely. We have been in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan at multiple levels,” a US State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
“The United States encourages all parties to work together towards a responsible resolution,” the spokesperson added.
The State Department also reiterated Washington’s support for India, strongly condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, similar to comments made by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
India has become an increasingly important US partner as Washington seeks to counter China’s rising influence in Asia. Meanwhile, Pakistan remains an ally, though its importance has diminished following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst and writer for Foreign Policy, noted that India is now a much closer partner to the US than Pakistan. He suggested that Islamabad may be concerned that if India retaliates militarily, the US might sympathize with India’s counter-terrorism efforts and not oppose them.
Kugelman also pointed out that with the US already engaged in diplomatic efforts in Ukraine and Israel, the Trump administration may leave India and Pakistan to handle the situation themselves in the early stages.
Hussain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to the US, observed that there seems to be no significant US interest in de-escalating the situation. He noted the longstanding grievances between India and Pakistan—India’s concerns about terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Pakistan’s belief that India seeks to destabilize it—and stated that these tensions flare up periodically without US intervention.
ESCALATING TENSIONS
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, with each country administering only part of the territory. They have fought wars over the region in the past.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist, has vowed to track down the attackers “to the ends of the earth” and stated that those responsible for the Kashmir attack “will be punished beyond their imagination.” Indian politicians and others have also called for military action against Pakistan.
Following the attack, both India and Pakistan implemented retaliatory measures. Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines, while India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which governs water-sharing from the Indus River and its tributaries. Additionally, the two sides exchanged gunfire across their de facto border after four years of relative calm.
A little-known militant group, Kashmir Resistance, claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian security agencies believe the group, also known as The Resistance Front, is a front for Pakistan-based militant organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Ned Price, a former US State Department official under President Joe Biden, stated that while the Trump administration is handling the issue with the necessary sensitivity, the perception that it will always back India could escalate tensions.
“The Trump Administration has made clear it wants to deepen the US-India partnership—an admirable goal—but if India believes the administration will support it unconditionally, it could lead to further escalation and violence between these nuclear-armed nations,” Price warned.
