WASHINGTON: The United States played a crucial role in preventing a potential disaster during the recent escalation between Pakistan and India, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.
She praised the swift diplomatic efforts by Washington that helped defuse tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
“Clearly, the situation between Pakistan and India had the potential to spiral into something very dangerous,” Bruce said during a press briefing. “I was at the State Department at the time, and there was an immediate, high-level response involving the Vice President, the President, and the Secretary of State.”
She highlighted how quickly U.S. leadership acted to engage both Islamabad and New Delhi.
“In the days that followed, we shared the nature of those urgent conversations—phone calls, diplomatic outreach, and mediation efforts—that helped bring both sides to the table and ultimately led to a more lasting understanding,” she said.
Bruce called the U.S. role a “proud moment” and a clear example of the Biden administration’s commitment to international peace and stability.
“It reflects the kind of diplomacy Secretary Rubio champions and the proactive leadership of Vice President Vance. Our top officials were fully engaged in preventing what could have been a major catastrophe,” she added.
Addressing U.S. relations with both countries, Bruce noted that Washington continues to maintain strong ties with both Islamabad and New Delhi.
“Our relationships with both nations remain positive. That’s the benefit of having a president who maintains open lines of communication with world leaders. It allows us to bring different parties together, even in times of conflict,” she said.
She also pointed to continued cooperation with Pakistan on security matters.
“Recently, we held a U.S.–Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue in Islamabad, reaffirming our shared commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms,” Bruce stated. “We discussed practical ways to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats.”
She concluded by emphasizing that U.S. engagement with both Pakistan and India is not only vital for the region but for global stability.
U.S. and Pakistan reaffirm commitment to counterterrorism in Islamabad dialogue:
The United States and Pakistan held a high-level Counterterrorism Dialogue in Islamabad on August 12, reaffirming their shared commitment to eliminating terrorism in all its forms.
According to a statement by the U.S. State Department, the meeting was jointly chaired by Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary Nabeel Munir and U.S. Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory LoGerfo.
During the dialogue, both sides emphasized the need to address threats posed by terrorist organizations including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The U.S. acknowledged Pakistan's recent successes in counterterrorism operations and commended its ongoing efforts and sacrifices in the fight for regional and global peace.
The U.S. delegation also expressed condolences for the victims of the recent attacks on the Jaffer Express and a school bus in Khuzdar, underscoring the human cost of terrorism and the urgency of joint counterterrorism efforts.
