New Delhi/Washington, June 18: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told U.S. President Donald Trump that India’s decision to pause military operations against Pakistan under “Operation Sindoor” was made following a direct request from Islamabad, and not due to any U.S.-brokered deal or trade negotiations, officials said on Tuesday.
In a 35-minute phone call — their first since the suspension of the operation last month — Modi conveyed that India had acted decisively in response to a series of terror attacks, and that those supporting terrorism would be held accountable.
“Prime Minister Modi clarified that no topics related to trade were discussed in connection with Operation Sindoor. He asserted that India has never accepted third-party mediation and will not accept such mediation,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a statement.
The Indian operation, launched after a deadly terror strike in Pahalgam on April 22, targeted militant camps and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to Indian officials, the strikes on the nights of May 6–7 and May 9–10 inflicted significant damage on Pakistan’s military infrastructure, including rendering several airbases inoperable.
Trump, who had to leave the G7 summit in Canada early due to tensions in the Middle East, had invited Modi to visit the United States on his return journey. Modi declined the invitation, citing prior commitments, but extended an invitation to Trump to visit India for the upcoming Quad Summit later this year.
India’s Prime Minister emphasized that the pause in Operation Sindoor came after Pakistan pleaded for a halt and that it was a bilateral decision, made through existing diplomatic channels. “The decision to halt military action was taken in direct talks between India and Pakistan using the existing channels and at the insistence of Pakistan,” Misri added.
Misri also confirmed that Trump expressed understanding of India’s position and reiterated U.S. support for India’s counter-terrorism efforts. During the call, Modi stressed that India would henceforth treat terrorism not as a proxy war but as an act of war.
India’s leadership has consistently rejected the idea of external mediation in the Kashmir dispute or counter-terror efforts, a position that Modi reaffirmed during the call. “There is bipartisan and political unity in India on this issue,” Misri said.
Trump and Modi had previously spoken after the Pahalgam terror attack, during which Trump expressed condolences and support for India’s response. Modi also told Trump that on May 9, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance had warned him of a possible Pakistani escalation, to which India had made clear it would respond with greater force if necessary.
India’s strikes, described by Modi as “measured, precise and non-escalatory,” were part of a broader shift in India’s approach to dealing with cross-border terrorism.
