'US only expressed concern': Jaishankar again scraps Trump's claim -Here's how India-Pak ceasefire actually happened

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday again dismissed US President Donald Trump's claims on mediating the India-Pakistan ceasefire, saying that their role was only limited to expressing concerns.

Jaishankar said that the ceasefire was the result of a direct bilateral arrangement, and not influenced by international mediation, specifically from the US.

India's external affairs minister was speaking with Netherlands-based broadcaster NOS in an interview, and noted India's concerns over Pakistan's use of terrorism as a state policy, adding that India has all the rights to respond decisively to such threats.

"The US was in the United States," Jaishankar noted pointedly while responding to a question about US involvement.

"We made one thing very clear to everybody who spoke to us, not just the United States but to everyone, saying if the Pakistanis want to stop fighting, they need to tell us. We need to hear it from them. Their general has to call up our general and say this. And that is what happened," Jaishankar said.

Here's how it happened

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said that the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan was initiated by the Pakistani military on May 10 through hotline communication.

"It was the Pakistani army that sent a message that they were ready to stop firing, and we responded accordingly," he said.

Jaishankar further confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had reached out, but their "role was limited to expressing concern".

When asked about claims made by Trump, Jaishankar simply dismissed them.

"This is something between us and the Pakistanis. We propose to deal with it bilaterally," he said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. India then launched Operation Sindoor and hit nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation.

The operation led to the deaths of over 100 terrorists associated with terror groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

He further stressed the purpose of Operation Sindoor, saying, "The operation continues because there is a clear message in that operation - if there are acts of the kind we saw on April 22nd, there will be a response. We will hit the terrorists. If the terrorists are in Pakistan, we will hit them where they are."