Did Pakistan's nuclear war threat press US for immediate ceasefire?

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump’s fresh statement on Truth Social has raised a critical question: Did Pakistan’s nuclear war threat press the U.S. to urgently broker a ceasefire between the two nations? 

Trump on Sunday expressed relief over the India-Pakistan ceasefire, emphasising the grave risk of nuclear war that loomed over the escalating conflict between the two nations.

Trump lauded the leadership of both countries for their decision to de-escalate, stating, “I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have lead to the death and destruction of so many, and so much. Millions of good and innocent people could have died!” 

His remarks underscored a deep fear of nuclear escalation, a concern heightened by recent US-Pakistan talks that hinted at a potential loss of governmental control over Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

The ceasefire, agreed upon on May 10, 2025, followed a series of violent exchanges along the Line of Control (LoC). India accused Pakistan of violating the agreement within hours. 

The tensions stem from a terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians, mostly Hindus, were killed—an attack India attributes to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 

India retaliated with strikes on May 7, targeting terror camps in Pakistan. 

Trump’s statement came amid heightened US concerns about the stability of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, particularly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s talks with Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir. 

Rubio urged Munir to de-escalate tensions with India and restore direct communication to avoid miscalculation, even offering U.S. assistance in resuming constructive talks. 

However, the discussions reportedly raised alarms in Washington, as Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif denied rumors of a National Command Authority meeting, a body responsible for nuclear oversight, suggesting a lack of civilian control. 

This denial, coupled with a 2009 U.S. cable, where former U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson expressed fears of nuclear material being smuggled out of Pakistani facilities by insiders, fueled US apprehensions that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal might now be under the military’s sole control, rather than the civilian government.

A 2010 report by The Times revealed that the U.S. had been training an elite unit to recover Pakistani nuclear weapons in case they fell into hands of terrorists. 

Trump’s post indirectly reflected these concerns, emphasising the catastrophic potential of a nuclear conflict by noting that “millions of good and innocent people could have died.” 

His administration’s role in brokering the ceasefire was highlighted as a critical intervention, with Trump stating, “I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision.” 

He also promised to “increase trade, substantially, with both of these great nations” and offered to assist in resolving the Kashmir issue, saying, “I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.” 

India has historically rejected third-party mediation on Kashmir.