New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during Operation Sindoor, had conveyed to US Vice President J.D. Vance that India will respond with greater force in case Pakistan launches a retaliatory strike.

This was revealed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday while sharing details of a phone call between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Misri disclosed that on the night of May 9, US Vice President Vance conveyed to PM Modi that Pakistan could launch a major retaliatory strike.

This came two days after India launched Operation Sindoor where in which nine terror bases were attacked in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

“Prime Minister Modi told him clearly that if this happens, India will respond with even greater force. India’s strong counterattack on the night of May 9-10 caused heavy damage to Pakistan’s military. Several of their airbases were rendered inoperable,” Misri said.

He noted that following India’s forceful retaliation, Pakistan approached India with a ceasefire request.

Giving details about the phone conversation between PM Modi and Trump, Misri said that the two spoke over the phone for 35 minutes, their first conversation since the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor.

The call took place after a scheduled in-person meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit was cancelled due to Trump’s early return to the US.

“The phone conversation was held at the request of President Trump,” said Misri, adding that PM Modi used the opportunity to detail India’s measured military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 innocent tourists.

“Prime Minister Modi stated that the ceasefire was agreed to only at the request of Pakistan and that India does not want mediation. He made it clear that at no point during this episode were India-US trade talks or third-party mediation discussed,” Misri stated.

“The halt to military action was discussed directly between the two countries through existing military channels,” he added.

Reiterating India’s long-standing position, Misri said, “Prime Minister Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue.”

President Trump, according to Misri, fully understood India’s position and expressed support for its fight against terrorism.

PM Modi also informed Trump that India will consider any terror act emanating from Pakistan as an act of war, and that Operation Sindoor remains ongoing.

–IANS

dpb/