‘Alarming intelligence’ led US VP to press Modi for ceasefire talks with Pakistan: report

Senior members of the Trump administration sprang into action after receiving “alarming intelligence” on Friday, warning of a potential escalation in the conflict between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, CNN reports.

According to US officials, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State and acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had been closely monitoring the deteriorating situation. While they did not disclose the nature of the intelligence, citing its sensitivity, they said it was significant enough to push Washington to intervene more directly.

Vice President Vance personally reached out to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following a briefing with President Donald Trump. During their call, Vance urged Modi to open lines of communication with Pakistan and explore avenues to defuse tensions.

Officials familiar with the matter said Vance conveyed the White House’s concerns about the high risk of further escalation as the weekend approached and suggested a potential de-escalation plan that the US believed Islamabad would be open to.

At the time, US officials assessed that direct communication between India and Pakistan had broken down, prompting the need for American mediation to bring both sides back to dialogue.

Following Vance’s call, Rubio and other State Department officials worked through the night to engage with Indian and Pakistani counterparts. While Rubio had already begun laying groundwork earlier in the week, administration officials said the US ultimately left the task of finalizing the ceasefire agreement to the two countries.

“There was a lot of diplomatic effort earlier in the week, but it was clear the two sides weren’t engaging,” one official told CNN. “Our aim was to encourage dialogue, and by doing so, we helped bridge the gap that brought both parties to the negotiating table.”

Though the US did not take part in drafting the agreement, officials described Washington’s role as crucial in getting both sides to talk—highlighting Vance’s personal rapport with Modi from a recent visit to India as a factor in the success of the outreach.

Interestingly, Vance’s intervention came just a day after he publicly dismissed the idea of direct US involvement. “This is fundamentally not America’s war,” he told Fox News on Thursday. “We can encourage both sides to dial things down, but we’re not going to dictate terms.”

Nevertheless, the ceasefire was announced Saturday following a day of fierce fighting. While skirmishes continued to be reported in both Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir shortly after the truce was declared, Trump hailed the agreement as a breakthrough. “A full and immediate ceasefire,” he posted on social media.

Rubio echoed the announcement minutes later, confirming that both governments had agreed to talks on broader issues at a neutral location.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce credited the outcome to 48 hours of intense coordination involving Rubio and Vance. “It was a beautiful partnership,” she told NewsNation, applauding both men for turning President Trump’s vision into reality.

While Pakistan publicly thanked Trump for his role, India avoided mentioning the US. “We thank President Trump for his leadership and proactive role for peace in the region,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posted on X. In contrast, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that the agreement had been reached directly between India and Pakistan.