On Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his support for all initiatives aimed at reducing tensions, following the agreement between India and Pakistan to implement an immediate ceasefire. Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, stated, ‘We are monitoring the situation and welcome all efforts to de-escalate the conflict.’ This ceasefire, facilitated by the United States, was established shortly after both nations had engaged in attacks on each other’s military installations, significantly heightening the existing conflict. Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that after extensive negotiations mediated by the US, India and Pakistan had consented to a ‘full and immediate’ ceasefire, commending both nations for their rational decision-making. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that in the preceding 48 hours, he and Vice President J D Vance had discussions with high-ranking officials from both countries, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, to facilitate this agreement. Rubio further praised the leaders for their judiciousness in opting for peace, while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed via social media that an understanding had been reached regarding the cessation of hostilities. This development followed India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, after which Pakistan attempted to strike various Indian military sites without success.
