No India-US trade talks, mediation mention during Op Sindoor: PM Modi to Trump

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly communicated to US President Donald Trump that there were no discussions on trade talks and mediation during Operation Sindoor before Pakistan requested a ceasefire.

When India launched Operation Sindoor against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), top US leaders and several other countries tried to reach out to Delhi. And just ahead of the announcement of having reached an understanding on a ceasefire on May 12 by India and Pakistan, Trump declared that he had settled the issue through trade.

He said at a joint press conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa: “I think I settled it through trade. We’re doing a big deal with India. We’re doing a big deal with Pakistan.”

India rejected this quickly at that time, and the same was conveyed during the latest phone call between PM Modi and Trump.

PM Modi, according to Misri, told Trump that the military action was halted after a direct discussion between India and Pakistan through their military channels. He also mentioned that the Prime Minister told Trump that India does not seek and will never accept any mediation on matters related to Pakistan.

Since his first ‘announcement’ on May 12, Trump has repeatedly claimed that his administration brokered the ceasefire understanding between the nuclear-armed nations after “long hours of talks”.

Misri revealed that the two leaders spoke over the phone for 35 minutes, their first conversation since the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor.

The call took place after a scheduled in-person meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit was cancelled due to Trump’s early return to the US.

“The phone conversation was held at the request of President Trump,” said Misri, adding that PM Modi used the opportunity to detail India’s measured military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 innocent tourists.

The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front, a group affiliated with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

“Prime Minister Modi said that on the night of May 6-7, India had targeted only terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India’s actions were very measured, precise, and non-escalatory,” Misri said.

“India had made it clear that it would respond to Pakistan’s ‘goli’ with ‘gola’ (a strong, proportionate military response),” he said.

Operation Sindoor saw India strike nine high-value terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and PoK. In response, Pakistan launched military strikes not only on Indian military infrastructure but also on civilian and religious sites, prompting further escalation.

He noted that following India’s forceful retaliation, Pakistan approached India with a ceasefire request.

“Prime Minister Modi stated that the ceasefire was agreed to only at the request of Pakistan and that India does not want mediation. He made it clear that at no point during this episode were India-US trade talks or third-party mediation discussed,” Misri stated.

“The halt to military action was discussed directly between the two countries through existing military channels,” he added.

Reiterating India’s long-standing position, Misri said, “Prime Minister Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue.”

President Trump, according to Misri, fully understood India’s position and expressed support for its fight against terrorism. PM Modi also informed Trump that India will consider any terror act emanating from Pakistan as an act of war, and that Operation Sindoor remains ongoing.

The Foreign Secretary also disclosed that on the night of May 9, US Vice President Vance conveyed to PM Modi that Pakistan could launch a major retaliatory strike.

“Prime Minister Modi told him clearly that if this happens, India will respond with even greater force. India’s strong counterattack on the night of May 9-10 caused heavy damage to Pakistan’s military. Several of their airbases were rendered inoperable,” Misri said.

Trump reportedly asked if PM Modi could stop by the US on his return from Canada, but the Prime Minister expressed his inability due to prior commitments. However, both leaders agreed to try to meet soon.

The conversation also covered international developments, including the Iran-Israel conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Both leaders agreed that direct dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv is necessary for peace.

“They also discussed the Indo-Pacific and the vital role of the QUAD. Prime Minister Modi invited President Trump to India for the next QUAD summit, and President Trump accepted the invitation,” Misri said.

IANS