In a rare and candid admission, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar revealed that India agreed to a ceasefire in May due to mounting pressure from the United States and the looming threat of a large-scale military response from Pakistan. The disclosure was made during an interview with Newsweek while Jaishankar was in the U.S. for a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting.
According to Jaishankar, the critical intervention came on the night of May 9, when U.S. Vice President JD Vance personally called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I was in the room when he told us that if we did not agree to certain terms, Pakistan would launch a major assault on India,” Jaishankar stated, acknowledging that the ceasefire decision was not solely India’s own.
Also Read: Trump Claims Israel Agrees to Two-Month Gaza Ceasefire
He further revealed that Pakistan did launch a large-scale attack that night, prompting immediate retaliation from Indian forces. The following day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted Jaishankar, indicating that Pakistan was ready to enter into dialogue.
Jaishankar also reiterated India’s long-standing accusations against Pakistan, blaming it for involvement in terrorist activities, including the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Calling the attack a “turning point,” he said it solidified India’s resolve to act firmly against cross-border militancy.
