‘World cannot afford…’ World leaders react to Operation Sindoor and rising India-Pak tensions

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, India on Wednesday hit nine sites of terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, as per the Union Ministry of Defence, India.

The rising tensions between the two South-Asian nations quickly caught the attention of the world, with leaders urging the countries to practice restraint and closely monitoring the situation.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remains “very concerned” about India’s military operation against Pakistan, saying “the world cannot afford a confrontation between the two countries”, according to his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

“He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries”, Dujarric said shortly after India announced missile strikes into Pakistan and territory it occupies in Kashmir.

“The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border”, he said.

“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan”, he added.

On Monday, Guterres reiterated his strong condemnation of the attack and said, "Targeting civilians is unacceptable – and those responsible must be brought to justice through transparent, credible, and lawful means."

He spoke before the Security Council met for closed consultations at the request of Pakistan on the looming conflict.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated he is monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan "closely." 

In a post on X, Marco 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.”

The Indian embassy in Washington also said in a statement that India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who holds an additional charge as the National Security Adviser, of the strikes.

Earlier, President Donald Trump said that the Indian strikes on Pakistan were expected and that it’s his “hope it ends very quickly”.

“It’s a shame,” President Trump said at an unrelated White House interaction with news reporters. “We just heard about it as we were walking through the doors of the Oval ... They've been fighting for a long time. ... I just hope it ends very quickly.”

The Indian embassy said in a statement, “Shortly after the strikes, NSA Shri Ajit Doval spoke with US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and briefed him on the actions taken.”

“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,” it added.

President Trump’s remarks were the first by an American official after the strikes.

Earlier, Tammy Bruce, the state department spokesperson, told reporters that the situation between India and Pakistan was “a dynamic, serious issue”.

She went on to reiterate the US position stated earlier. “It remains an evolving situation. We are clearly still closely involved in monitoring. We continue to urge Pakistan and India to work towards a responsible resolution that maintains long-term peace and regional stability in South Asia.

“We remain in touch with the governments of both countries at multiple levels. We are not watching from afar in that regard. We are engaged and we’re aware of various reports that are happening in the midst of this very delicate situation,” said Bruce.

In a statement from UAE Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan asked India and Pakistan “to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace.”

“His Highness reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity,” the statement read.

India's Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that it launched “Operation Sindoor” hitting nine places in Pakistan and the part of Kashmir it occupies.

“Focused strikes were carried out on nine #terrorist infrastructure sites” in a “precise and restrained response to the barbaric #PahalgamTerrorAttack”, it said in a post on X.

Earlier, the Indian Army said that it has hit nine locations deep inside Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.

“A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed,” the army in a press release said.

The Indian Army also posted on its official X handle, “Justice is Served. Jai Hind.”

“Altogether, nine (9) sites have been targeted. Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and the method of execution,” the army said.

The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba, took responsibility for the massacre of 26 people in the Kashmir tourist spot.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)