US Vice-President JD Vance has stated that the United States will not intervene in the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, describing the fighting between the two nuclear-armed nations as “fundamentally none of our business.”
Speaking to Fox News, Vance emphasised that while the US would encourage deescalation, it could not compel either side to cease hostilities. “What we can do is try to encourage these folks to deescalate a little bit, 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,” he said.
Vance added that the US would “continue to pursue this through diplomatic channels,” noting that Washington lacked the leverage to force either side to “lay down their arms.”
“Our hope and our expectation is that this is not going to spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict,” he said. “Right now, we don’t think that’s going to happen.”
His comments align with President Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine, which calls for a reduced US role in mediating foreign conflicts. Both Trump and Vance have warned that the US is prepared to withdraw from attempts to broker a ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine if the warring sides refuse to engage in direct talks.
On Thursday evening, India reported that it had intercepted missile and drone attacks launched by Pakistan, the latest in a series of retaliatory strikes between the two countries.
As Vance reiterated the administration’s stance of limited involvement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with leaders from both countries, urging “immediate deescalation.” Foreign ministers from Iran and Saudi Arabia also arrived in Delhi on Thursday in a show of regional concern.
Vance, who has taken an active role in shaping foreign policy in the new Trump administration, visited India last month. During the trip, he acknowledged India’s right to retaliate against “terrorists” based in Pakistan, but cautioned against allowing the conflict to expand.
“Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn’t lead to a broader regional conflict,” he said, referring to the Pahalgam attack. “And we hope, frankly, that Pakistan—if they bear responsibility—cooperates with India to ensure that terrorists sometimes operating on their territory are hunted down and dealt with.”
