Trump administration steps up efforts to reduce India-Pakistan tensions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Thursday with the prime minister of Pakistan and India's foreign minister as the Trump administration stepped up efforts to prevent the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals from going to war.

In separate calls with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rubio ``emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation,'' the State Department said

Rubio also ``expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,'' according to readouts of the calls, which were identical except for specific references to recent developments that have brought the two countries to the brink of war.

In his call with Sharif, Rubio ``expressed sorrow for the reported loss of civilian lives in the current conflict'' without mentioning the Indian response to an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi has blamed on Islamabad.

In his call with Jaishankar, Rubio ``reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism,'' the department said.