US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday (May 8) said Washington was closely monitoring the rising tensions between India and Pakistan but made clear that the conflict was not America’s fight to join. Speaking to Fox News, Vance stressed that while the US encouraged peace, it would not intervene directly.

“What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit,” Vance said. “But 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.”

Vance, a strong advocate for US disengagement from international conflicts, reiterated that India and Pakistan needed to handle the situation independently.

Trump: ‘We knew something was going to happen’

Following India’s precision strikes on terror camps across the border, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington had prior indications of the planned action.

“We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval,” Trump said at a press conference. “I guess we knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past.”

Trump added that he hoped the situation would not spiral further. “They have been fighting for many many decades, and centuries when you think about it. Nah, I just hope it ends very quickly,” he said.

India’s Operation Sindoor

The Indian government confirmed early Wednesday (May 7) that its armed forces had carried out precision strikes on terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Nine locations were hit in the operation, named ‘Operation Sindoor.’

The defence ministry described the strikes as a “precise and restrained response” to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly civilians. The ministry emphasised that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted, underlining India’s “calibrated and non-escalatory approach.”

Tensions escalate after Pahalgam attack

The strikes followed days of heightened tensions in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. In response, India had announced a series of punitive steps, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari land border, and a downgrading of diplomatic ties with Islamabad.

Trump’s offer to mediate

On May 8, amid the rising tensions, Trump offered to mediate between India and Pakistan, expressing concern over the escalating conflict.

“Oh it’s so terrible! My position is I get along with both. I know both very well and I want to see them work it out,” Trump said, as quoted by ANI. “They’ve gotten tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now.”

Trump added, “And if I can do anything to help, I will be there.”