US secretary of state Marco Rubio is expected to speak to the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan to prevent an escalation amid the sabre-rattling in the Indian sub-continent over the Pahalgam terror strike.

The US is asking foreign ministers and leaders of other countries to reach out to New Delhi and Islamabad to pull the two countries away from the brink of a confrontation.

That Rubio would be speaking to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in the next 24 hours was announced by the spokesperson of the US state department, Tammy Bruce, on Tuesday soon after the Modi government announced that the Prime Minister had given the armed forces full operational freedom to determine the “mode, targets and timing of India’s response”.

Asked about Monday’s state department statement that the US is in touch with the leadership of India and Pakistan, Bruce said: “We are reaching out to both parties and telling... them not to escalate the situation. The secretary expects to speak with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India as early as today or tomorrow. He is encouraging other national leaders, other foreign ministers, to also reach out to the countries on this issue.” The spokesperson said the US was in touch with India and Pakistan at multiple levels and “we, of course, are encouraging all parties to work together for a responsible solution”.

Jaishankar, who usually announces his conversations with counterparts on X, posted about two phone conversations he had on Wednesday on the Pahalgam attack with counterparts Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Denmark and Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya of Kuwait.

The Saudi Arabian foreign ministry expressed concern over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan and the continued exchange of fire along the borders. “The Kingdom calls on both countries to de-escalate, avoid further escalation, and resolve disputes through diplomatic means, while upholding the principles of good neighbourliness and working towards stability and peace in a manner that serves the interests of both their peoples and the peoples of the region.”

Pak: Strong response

Pakistan on Wednesday said it had nothing to do with the Pahalgam terror attack and threatened a strong response if it was “provoked”.