India briefs key global powers on reasons for ‘Operation Sindoor’

New Delhi: India on Wednesday reached out to key global powers, including members of the UN Security Council, and apprised them about the reasons behind its military strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, people familiar with the matter said.

New Delhi also conveyed to the countries that it will retaliate if Islamabad escalates the already tense situation, they said.

Hours after the military strikes carried out under Operation Sindoor, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his counterparts from Germany, Japan, France and Spain and briefed them about the action against the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval dialled his counterparts from the US, China, the UK, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Doval told his counterparts from these countries that India has no intent to escalate tensions but it is prepared to “retaliate resolutely” if Pakistan does so, the people said.

NSA Doval held separate phone conversation with US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, British NSA Jonathan Powell, Saudi NSA Musaed Al-Aiban, United Arab Emirates NSA Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Japan’s NSA Masataka Okano and Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president.

It is learnt that Doval provided some details about the Operation Sindoor, the people said. “The NSA briefed his counterparts on actions taken and the method of execution, which were measured, non-escalatory and restrained. He emphasised India had no intent to escalate but is well prepared to retaliate resolutely should Pakistan decide to escalate,” one of the people said.

In his conversations with France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, Germany’s Johann Wadephul, Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya, Spain’s Jose Manuel Albares and Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Jaishankar discussed India’s action against the cross-border terrorist infrastructure.

“Appreciated their solidarity and support in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Discussed ensuring zero tolerance for terrorism,” Jaishankar said in a social media post after his joint call with Barrot and Wadephul.

The Japanese foreign ministry said Tokyo is “deeply concerned” that the recent series of events could lead to further “reprisals and escalate into a full-scale military conflict.”