When the Pahalgam terror attack took place—where Hindu tourists were specifically targeted by terrorists backed by Pakistan—the global community strongly condemned the attack. Many countries expressed support for India’s right to retaliate. However, they likely assumed India would follow its usual pattern: a limited response like surgical strikes or air raids on a few terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), followed by a brief escalation before things returned to normal. They didn’t expect India to take Prime Minister Modi’s warning seriously. Many world leaders may have viewed his tough statements as political posturing rather than a sign of real military action.
On May 7, India responded with unprecedented military action. Nine terrorist hideouts were destroyed—not just in PoK, but deep inside Pakistan. Initially, the world supported India’s move. But within three days, everything changed. The global silence became deafening, and the United States—after previously stating that it had “no business” in the conflict—suddenly became involved. President Donald Trump even falsely claimed that he was the one who stopped the war. This sudden shift confused many Indians. The public was shocked, and even angry, when the operation seemed to halt. But Indian officials and military sources clarified that it wasn’t a formal ceasefire—it was just a pause in firing. The real reason for the abrupt stop may only come out years from now, perhaps through a book or memoir by someone in the Modi government. Until then, we can only connect the dots based on public statements and available reports.
Let’s try to decode what really happened.
Trump’s claim that he stopped the war was quickly denied by the Indian government, and rightly so. Trump often seeks credit for global events, especially ones that could boost his image with his MAGA supporters. He once promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war but failed to do so. That said, we cannot completely rule out US involvement in the sudden pause of Operation Sindoor.
War, while devastating, is also a way for countries to demonstrate military power and promote their defense exports. The global military-industrial complex thrives on such opportunities. In the first two days of Operation Sindoor, when India destroyed multiple terrorist bases using precision airstrikes, the US stayed silent. Even Vice President JD Vance said the US had no business in the conflict—widely interpreted as a green light for India to act. However, when Indian airstrikes reportedly targeted Pakistan’s highly sensitive sites, like the Kirana Hills (a suspected nuclear weapons storage site) and Nur Khan Airbase (Pakistan’s most advanced airbase protected by American systems), the situation shifted dramatically.
Until then, India had only hit locations guarded by Chinese or Turkish defense equipments. Also, when Pakistan retaliated using Chinese and Turkish drones, missiles, and fighter jets, India successfully destroyed them, exposing the weaknesses in those Chinese and Turkish-made defense systems. But once American-made systems were hit—and potentially failed—the US could no longer sit quietly. Here’s where things get interesting. Reports suggest that on the same day Pakistan attempted to strike Delhi, India retaliated by taking out four F-16 jets using its Akash and S-400 air defense systems. Indian strikes also reportedly hit two of Pakistan’s nuclear facilities, both protected by US defense systems. These actions left Pakistan defenseless and exposed vulnerabilities in US-supplied equipments—something that could deeply damage the credibility of American defense exports. This might have triggered panic within the US military-industrial complex.
It’s also believed that Pakistan reached out to the US for help, which may have prompted Trump to intervene. His later statement about having “saved millions of lives” hints that the situation had become far more serious than the public was told. The sudden concern for lives—especially by a nation that often prioritizes strategic interests over innocent lives—suggests that something critical may have happened at those nuclear sites. Interestingly, since Operation Sindoor, no Pakistani leader or military official has issued any nuclear threats to India—a common tactic in the past. This silence suggests that those nuclear sites might have been severely damaged or rendered inoperable, effectively forcing Pakistan into submission.
It’s also important to note that India likely never intended for Operation Sindoor to turn into a full-scale war. As a rising economic power—now the fourth-largest economy globally—India has more to gain from stability than conflict. But the US’s sudden shift from “no business” to actively negotiating a pause strongly suggests that something significant changed on the battlefield that affected US’s interests.
In conclusion, while we may never know the full story, the dots point to a larger geopolitical and strategic reality. India’s strikes may have not only crippled Pakistan’s terror infrastructure but also exposed flaws in US defense systems.That could have prompted the US—driven by military-industrial concerns—to step in and pressure both sides to pause. Whether or not Trump played a meaningful role is debatable, but the sudden end to Operation Sindoor points to a much bigger story beneath the surface.