U.S. Vice President JD Vance has publicly urged Pakistan to cooperate with India in the investigation of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people and is considered the deadliest such incident in Kashmir since 2019. In several interviews and statements, Vance emphasized that Washington expects Pakistan to assist India in tracking down militants believed to be operating from Pakistani territory.
Vance spoke about all these on Thursday in an interview with Fox News.
He also highlighted the need for India to respond to the attack in a manner that avoids escalating tensions into a broader regional conflict, given the nuclear capabilities of both countries. The U.S. has maintained close contact with both India and Pakistan following the attack, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio also urging Islamabad to denounce the attack and assist in the investigation.
"Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn't lead to a broader regional conflict," Vance said on Fox News's 'Special Report'.
When asked, "Are you worried about India and Pakistan?" Vance responded, "Well, sure, I'm worried about any time you see a hotspot breaking out, especially between two nuclear powers."
"We've obviously been in close contact with our friends in India and Pakistan. Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that does not lead to a broader regional conflict," he added.
"And we hope, frankly, that Pakistan, to the extent that they're responsible, cooperates with India to make sure that the terrorists sometimes operating in their territory are hunted down and dealt with. That's how we hope this comes. We're obviously in close contact. We'll see what happens," Vance said.
It is also worth noting that Vance and his family were in India on a four-day visit when the attack took place.