New Delhi/Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed a firm warning to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, stating that any hostile action from Pakistan would be met with a “more forceful, stronger, devastating” response, according to a source familiar with the matter.
This revelation comes amid efforts by the Donald Trump administration to take credit for mediating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. However, New Delhi has maintained that the ceasefire was initiated after Islamabad directly requested one on Friday, May 10.
India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes that targeted no fewer than eight Pakistani airbases and military installations. The operation also hit ground forces that were mobilizing along the border. The strikes destroyed airfields, radar systems, air defense units, and resulted in significant Pakistani casualties.
‘India’s Response Will Be Devastating’: Modi’s Message to Vance
A source told PTI that Modi delivered this message during a conversation with Vance on Thursday, May 9. The source emphasized that Modi was clear in asserting India’s right to defend itself with overwhelming force if provoked by Pakistan.
Western media previously reported that Vice President Vance had reached out to Modi after receiving intelligence that raised concerns of a broader conflict. During the call, Vance is said to have urged restraint. However, the source confirmed Modi was unyielding in his stance.
The source quoted Modi as telling Vance:
“If the Pakistanis do anything, please be assured that they will get a response more forceful, stronger, more devastating than anything they do. They need to understand this.”
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The message from New Delhi was consistent across international channels, with Indian officials telling global leaders that any aggression from Pakistan would be met with direct and decisive retaliation.
“In all our messages after April 22, we said we will hit the terrorists, there will be consequences. We were very, very clear from day one. They fire, we fire. They stop, we stop. This was our message,” the source added.
‘India and Pakistan Cannot Be Equated’
Despite mediation efforts from countries such as the United States and Saudi Arabia, India has insisted that the military pressure exerted through Operation Sindoor was the decisive factor that led Pakistan to seek de-escalation.
India reportedly conveyed to mediators that it would not tolerate any false equivalence between itself—a victim of terrorism—and Pakistan, which it accuses of sponsoring terrorism.
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“The clear message that we gave to our interlocutors is that we cannot equate the victim and the perpetrator. This even-handedness is not going to be tolerated anymore,” the source stated.
Further, the source emphasized that Operation Sindoor served as a warning to terror groups: no location, even deep within Pakistan, would be considered a safe haven.
