Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has revealed that US Vice President JD Vance had warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a potential major attack by Pakistan on the night of May 9, urging India to accept certain conditions to prevent escalation.

 

In an interview with Newsweek on Wednesday, Jaishankar stated that JD Vance directly called PM Modi and conveyed that if India did not concede on certain matters, Pakistan would launch a large-scale attack.

 

“I was in the room when the US vice president spoke to Prime Minister Modi on the night of May 9, warning that the Pakistanis would launch a very massive assault on India if we did not accept certain things,” he said.

 

“That night, Pakistan did launch a large-scale attack,” Jaishankar confirmed.

 

India alleged that Pakistan was behind the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). However, no evidence has been provided to date, whereas Pakistan has also dismissed the allegations.

 

The tensions between the two countries nonetheless escalated the following month. On the night of May 6–7, India illegally launched strikes in Pakistan, including Muridke and Bahawalpur, killing innocent civilians. In response, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) acted swiftly and downed six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, a Su-30, and a MiG-29.

 

The tension escalated when both countries directly engaged in a military confrontation.

 

In response to the Indian aggression, Pakistan's armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, targeting several Indian military sites across multiple regions.

 

After at least 87 hours, the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.

 

The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social after the US held talks with both sides. However, India has dismissed Trump's claims that it resulted from his intervention and threats to sever trade talks.

 

On the contrary, Pakistan has acknowledged the US president’s efforts and formally recommended him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India last month.