India’s top leadership held a flurry of high-level discussions with the United States this week, as tensions with Pakistan continue to rise in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 dead.
On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, according to Indian defence ministry officials. Their conversation follows Pakistan’s military buildup along the border, including the deployment of air defence and artillery units at forward posts.
Amid mounting ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) from both nations held talks via hotline on Tuesday. Indian defence sources said Pakistan was warned over its “unprovoked firing” along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), especially in Kupwara and Poonch where the Indian Army retaliated swiftly to Pakistani small arms fire on April 27–28.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the terror strike. Jaishankar emphasized the need to bring the attack’s “perpetrators, backers, and planners to justice.” In a statement, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio expressed condolences and called for India-Pakistan de-escalation to maintain regional stability.
In direct fallout from the Pahalgam massacre, India has adopted a tougher stance on Pakistan:
- Closed the Integrated Check Post at Attari
- Suspended the Indus Water Treaty
- Reduced diplomatic presence by curtailing High Commission strength
In a key meeting on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also present. According to government sources:
“PM Modi gave full operational freedom to the Indian Armed Forces to determine the mode, targets, and timing of India’s response.”
He also expressed complete faith in the Indian military’s professional capability and reaffirmed India’s resolve to deliver a crushing blow to terrorism.