'No one needed to persuade us': Shashi Tharoor refutes Trump's Indo-Pak mediation claims ahead of Indian delegation's US visit

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor-led delegation will visit the United States today (June 3). Ahead of the planned visit, the Indian leader has commented on US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of mediation between India and Pakistan after tensions rose between the two nations last month. Stating that he respects the US president, Tharoor clarified that India's understanding of the issue is different.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor said, "No one needed to persuade us to stop. We had already said to stop. If there was any persuasion by the American president or his senior officials, it would have been the persuasion of the Pakistanis. They would have had to be persuaded. We don't need to be persuaded because we don't want war."

Tharoor added, “We have enormous respect for the American presidency, and we will speak with that respect in mind. But broadly speaking, our understanding is a bit different…We had consistently said from the very beginning on May 7th that we were not interested in prolonging the conflict. This is not the opening salvo in some sort of war. All it is is retribution against the terrorists, period. If Pakistan had not reacted, we would not have reacted...”

Trump administration's claims vs India's stance

India, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, launched Operation Sindoor and hit terror targets inside Pakistan killing as many as 100 terrorists. Tensions rose when Pakistan launched drone attacks on military posts and civilian areas in bordering states. In retaliatory action, India launched missiles and attacked Pakistan's airbases. After two days of hostilities, a ceasefire understanding was reached between the DGMOs of both countries. Trump has claimed that it was reached after his intervention. He also claimed that he used trade and tariff to stop the fighting between both countries.

India has categorically rejected the claims made by the US president. India said that the understanding reached between the two nations was bilateral and no third-party mediation was involved. India said that they received calls from US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and they were told that any request for a ceasefire should come from the Pakistani side and not any other country. It was after this that the Pakistani DGMO contacted the Indian counterpart and an understanding was reached. India's Ministry of External Affairs has also said that trade was not used in the conversation.