‘Hopefully ends quickly’: Rubio says monitoring India-Pakistan situation after Operation Sindoor – Times of India

US secretary of state Marco Rubio after India’s Operation Sindoor on Pakistan, said that he is closely monitoring the unfolding situation between the nuclear-armed nations, expressing hope for a swift de-escalation and reaffirming Washington’s commitment to promoting peace in the region.Posting on social media platform X, Rubio said, “I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo @POTUS’s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.”Rubio’s remarks followed India’s launch of Operation Sindoor, a targeted military campaign against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The action was in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians—including one Nepali national. According to a statement from the Indian embassy in Washington, “India’s actions have been focused and precise. They were measured, responsible and designed to be non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani civilian, economic or military targets have been hit. Only known terror camps were targeted.” The embassy also confirmed that NSA Ajit Doval had briefed Rubio on the operation shortly after the strikes.The US has urged restraint from both sides. US President Donald Trump, responding to the situation, told reporters, “It’s a shame. We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval. Just heard about it… I hope it ends very quickly.” He noted that tensions between the two nations have persisted for “many, many decades… centuries, actually”.Rubio had earlier spoken to both Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following the Pahalgam attack. In that call, Rubio urged both nations to “de-escalate tensions, re-establish direct communications, and maintain peace and security in South Asia,” as per a statement from his office.The US has also stressed the importance of holding terrorists accountable. “The Secretary spoke of the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22… He also encouraged Pakistan to work with India to de-escalate tensions,” his office added.India, meanwhile, continues to brief international stakeholders on its counter-terrorism actions.