Amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India following the IIOJK attack, the United States has stepped in diplomatically, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to speak with the foreign ministers of both nations to encourage restraint and prevent further escalation.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Washington is urging both sides to de-escalate.

“We are reaching out to both parties and telling, of course, them to not escalate the situation,” Tammy Bruce told the reporters.

“Secretary Rubio believes diplomacy must take the lead,” Bruce said, noting that the Secretary has also encouraged other national leaders and foreign ministers “to reach out to the countries on this issue.”

Tensions have surged between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following a attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The attack, which occurred on April 22, claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, making it one of the deadliest incidents in the region since the year 2000.

On April 23, India unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a critical water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank, which has held steady through numerous conflicts between the two countries.

The next day, Pakistan retaliated by threatening to put the 1972 Simla Agreement in abeyance and closing its airspace to Indian flights.

India has suggested that cross-border links may have been involved in the attack, although it has not provided concrete evidence. In contrast, Pakistan has strongly denied any involvement.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an independent investigation into the incident to determine the truth.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Atta Tarar warned late Tuesday that Islamabad has credible intelligence indicating India may launch a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours, using the recent Pahalgam attack as a pretext.

The minister criticised India’s approach, accusing it of assuming a “self-assigned role of judge, jury and executioner” in the region, which was labelled as reckless and destabilising.

“Pakistan has itself suffered immensely from terrorism and understands the pain and consequences of such violence,” the statement added, reaffirming Islamabad’s call for restraint and regional peace.