US Secretary Rubio Urges De-escalation in Call with Pakistan’s Army Chief Amid India-Pakistan Tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a critical phone call with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, offering American assistance to de-escalate the spiraling tensions between Pakistan and India, according to a statement from the US Department of State. The call comes in the wake of intensified military exchanges, with Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan Marsus devastating three Indian airbases—Udhampur, Pathankot, and Adampur—along with multiple airfields and strategic targets, in retaliation for India’s missile strikes on three Pakistani airbases.

The US Department of State emphasized that Rubio urged both nations to find ways to reduce hostilities and proposed US support for “constructive talks” to prevent future conflicts. The statement reflects Washington’s growing concern over the escalating conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, which has reached its most dangerous level in nearly three decades. Rubio’s outreach to General Munir followed his earlier conversations with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, underscoring the US’s active diplomatic efforts to curb the crisis.

The recent flare-up began when India launched missile strikes on Pakistan’s Nur Khan, Murid, and Shorkot airbases, which Pakistan’s air defense systems successfully neutralized, according to security sources. In response, Pakistan initiated Operation Bunyan Marsus, a highly coordinated counteroffensive that obliterated key Indian military infrastructure, including a BrahMos missile storage site in Beas, India’s $1.5 billion S-400 air defense system in Adampur, and several airfields such as Halwara, Bhatinda, and Suratgarh. The operation also targeted Indian posts in the Phuklian sector, silencing artillery fire, with videos of the destruction, particularly at Udhampur airbase, circulating widely.

The conflict traces back to India’s “Operation Sindoor” on May 6-7, which struck civilian areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and other regions, killing 31 Pakistanis, including two children, and destroying two mosques. Pakistan condemned the attacks as “cowardly” and launched its counteroffensive to target the bases responsible for the aggression. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had previously warned India to “wait for our response,” a promise fulfilled through Operation Bunyan Marsus.

Security officials stressed that Pakistan’s actions are a clear message that it will not tolerate violations of its sovereignty. The US’s diplomatic intervention, led by Rubio, aligns with broader international calls for restraint, with the G7 and Saudi Arabia also urging de-escalation. As Pakistan continues its strategic strikes and India maintains a high state of alert, the international community watches closely, hoping diplomacy can avert further escalation in this volatile region.