State Department urges India, Pakistan to avoid escalation after recent strikes

The United States has urged India and Pakistan to avoid further escalation and to remain in direct communication, State Department spokesperson Tammy said at a May 8 press briefing in Washington.

Tammy said Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized two priorities in recent conversations with leaders of both countries: that "this should not escalate" and that "communication was fundamentally key." The calls, she said, also pushed for talks and an end to the current back-and-forth violence.

Why it matters: Senior U.S. engagement matters because both countries possess significant military capabilities and long-standing disputes that can quickly widen regional instability. Secretary Rubio’s outreach signals U.S. diplomatic involvement at the highest level in efforts to prevent broader confrontation.

At the briefing Tammy said Pakistan requested an independent investigation into a recent terrorist attack. "We want the perpetrators to be held accountable, and are supportive of any efforts to that end," she said. Tammy declined to discuss operational details or to confirm whether the U.S. has been provided intelligence supporting India’s public claims about strikes on terrorist infrastructure, saying the State Department does not discuss details of private diplomatic conversations.

Tammy repeated that the United States will remain engaged "at multiple levels" with both governments and will not put sensitive details into the public record while diplomatic work is ongoing. When asked whether the U.S. had offered to mediate, she said the administration generally keeps negotiation details private to protect ongoing diplomacy.

Discussion vs. decisions: The briefing described ongoing diplomatic outreach and public messaging; no U.S. policy change, formal mediation offer or security commitment was announced at the briefing.

Context and next steps: Tammy said the calls are part of continued U.S. attention to the region and that Washington is urging restraint while encouraging direct India–Pakistan dialogue. She also noted longstanding U.S. calls to end support for terrorist groups generally, and said the immediate focus is to stop the reciprocal escalation.