Washington, DC [US], July 9 (ANI): The US State Department on Tuesday criticized India’s stance that Washington played no role in brokering the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calling such claims “potentially misguided” and reaffirming US involvement in the de-escalation efforts.
During a press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce responded to questions about the differing narratives from New Delhi and Islamabad on Washington’s role following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor,’ which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Bruce, while addressing the press, remarked on the transparency of international events in the modern era, saying: “So many comments speak for themselves. That’s one of the good-news aspects of our modern world — people can see what’s really occurring. You’re not reliant on a comment to know what has really happened. The world is playing out in front of us in real time on big screens and small screens.”
In a pointed comment on India’s rejection of US involvement, Bruce added: “Everyone will have an opinion. That’s an opinion. Some opinions are wrong. Mine rarely are, but other people’s opinions can be wrong. But that’s what we get to do — analyze and judge — and the fact is that we understand, in front of us every day, the clarity of what’s transpiring in our world.”
Bruce went on to emphasize the role of senior US officials in the ceasefire discussions, stating: “President Donald Trump is here to help make that easier and to help use this to make things clearer. Secretary Marco Rubio is in the same position. The Vice President of the United States also was involved in the negotiations with Pakistan and India.”
The US has repeatedly claimed credit for helping negotiate the ceasefire, which it said was facilitated through parallel trade discussions. However, India has consistently denied any US mediation, asserting that the ceasefire agreement was the result of direct contact initiated by Pakistani military officials.
On Monday, President Trump reiterated his claim of averting a “nuclear-level” conflict between the two South Asian nations. Speaking during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said: “We stopped a lot of fights; the very, very big one was India and Pakistan. We stopped that over trade. We are dealing with India and Pakistan. We said that we are not going to be dealing with you at all if you are going to fight. They were maybe at a nuclear stage… Stopping that was really important.”
India has so far dismissed Trump’s narrative, maintaining that the ceasefire was agreed bilaterally, without any third-party mediation.
The disagreement highlights yet another flashpoint in US-India diplomatic relations amid growing tensions in the region and Washington’s renewed assertiveness under Trump’s “America First” foreign policy. (ANI)
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