- U.S. Vice President JD Vance says India-Pakistan war is “none of our business,” signaling shift in American policy.
- Multiple Indian attacks on Pakistani territory kill dozens, including women and children, sparking calls for retaliation.
- Pakistan denies involvement in Kashmir attack, vows a strong response to Indian aggression.
- U.S. preoccupied with Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, leaving South Asia to manage crisis without major mediation.
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI – May 9, 2025 — Tensions between nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors India and Pakistan have escalated into a dangerous armed conflict, with rising casualties and retaliatory threats as the United States publicly distances itself from the prospect of mediation.
In a stark statement, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the unfolding war is “none of our business,” signaling a significant shift in Washington’s long-standing role as a crisis manager in South Asia.
The war, which has now entered its third day, was sparked by a deadly attack in Indian-held Kashmir on April 22, killing 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan, despite Islamabad’s strong denial and demand for a neutral international investigation. Since then, multiple cross-border drone strikes and shelling incidents have claimed nearly 50 lives, including women and children, with most casualties reported in Pakistan’s districts.
On Thursday, Vice President Vance appeared on Fox News’s “The Story with Martha MacCallum” and made it clear that the Biden administration has little appetite for intervention.
“We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We can’t control these countries, though,” Vance said. “We’re not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it.”
His remarks came amid an alarming increase in Indian strikes on Pakistani territory, which Islamabad describes as unprovoked and indiscriminate.
Pakistan: “We Have Not Started the War – But We Will End It”
While the government of Pakistan has refrained from issuing an official response to Vance’s comments, sources familiar with high-level deliberations in Islamabad told The Islamabad Telegraph that the U.S. Vice President’s statement is “irrelevant.”
“India has started this war, killing innocent Pakistani civilians, including women and children,” said a senior government source who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “Pakistan will not let these atrocities go unanswered. We have not initiated any attack on India despite their repeated aggression, but let there be no doubt—Pakistan will respond, and decisively.”
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The Pakistan Armed Forces have so far exercised what military analysts describe as “strategic restraint,” but officials now say that retaliatory strikes are imminent. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters on Thursday evening that “Pakistan is not seeking war, but we will not remain silent if Indian aggression continues.”
Civilian Casualties Mount
On both sides of the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir, civilians are bearing the brunt of escalating hostilities. In Pakistan’s Bhimber and Kotli districts, rescue workers said at least 23 people, including five children and seven women, have died in Indian artillery shelling over the past 48 hours. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency, and schools have been closed indefinitely.
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Meanwhile, Indian officials report casualties in Rajouri and Poonch sectors but have not released confirmed figures. State-run Indian media has continued to highlight the April 22 militant attack as justification for what it calls “counter-terror operations” in Pakistani territory—claims Islamabad has repeatedly dismissed as false flag operations to provoke war.
U.S. Diplomacy—From Arbiter to Spectator
Historically, the United States has played a pivotal role in diffusing India-Pakistan crises, most notably during the Kargil conflict in 1999 and the Pulwama-Balakot standoff in 2019. However, this time Washington seems unwilling—or unable—to play that part.
In addition to Vance’s blunt remarks, President Donald Trump commented on the situation on Wednesday, calling the escalation “a shame” and stating he hoped “the two countries will stop now after going tit-for-tat.”
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio held phone calls with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday, urging both sides to de-escalate and engage in direct dialogue. A brief State Department readout of the calls emphasized Washington’s position: a “responsible solution” must be pursued.
But behind the diplomatic language lies a grim reality: with U.S. attention divided between the ongoing war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, officials admit privately that Washington lacks both the bandwidth and political will to mediate South Asia’s latest flashpoint.
Strategic Implications
Analysts say the U.S. distancing itself could embolden India, which sees itself as a key pillar of the Washington-led Indo-Pacific strategy against China. New Delhi may calculate that American pressure will remain minimal so long as the conflict stays limited and does not threaten larger regional stability.
But in Pakistan, there is growing frustration that its role as a long-time U.S. ally is being ignored in favor of short-term strategic alignments. “The double standards are glaring,” said islamabad based diplomat. “When India kills civilians in Pakistan, Washington looks the other way. But if Pakistan responds, they’ll start calling for restraint on both sides.”
The danger, experts warn, is that such asymmetry in diplomatic pressure may reduce incentives for de-escalation. As both nations amass troops along the Line of Control and conduct aerial surveillance missions, the risk of miscalculation increases exponentially.
What Comes Next?
With diplomacy failing and tempers running high, the prospect of a broader war looms. Islamabad has not specified what form its response will take, but military analysts expect a calibrated retaliation—possibly involving air or missile strikes on military targets inside India. However, both countries possess nuclear weapons, and international observers are urging restraint before the conflict crosses a point of no return.
As the world watches nervously, the absence of a strong international mediator could be the most alarming development yet.