India-Pakistan tensions: Which countries played key role in ceasefire agreement? US, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar offered to...

In a major diplomatic development, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire. The announcement was made late Saturday evening after a sudden rise in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India had earlier launched missile strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam last month.

US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire through a post on his Truth Social platform, saying, “India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.” He credited the success to “common sense and great intelligence” on both sides. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that top American officials, including Vice President JD Vance, held talks with leaders from both countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

However, other nations also contributed to reducing the tensions.

Iran was quick to offer help after the April 22 terror attack. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian personally spoke to both Modi and Sharif, condemning terrorism and urging peace. Iran’s Foreign Minister Saeed Abbas Araghchi even visited both countries, offering to mediate. However, India rejected the offer firmly, with EAM S Jaishankar stating that any attack on India would get a strong response.

Saudi Arabia also stepped in. Its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, visited both India and Pakistan just hours after India’s Operation Sindoor. Riyadh, with strong ties to both countries, had earlier urged peace through official statements.

The UAE and Qatar also made strong appeals for calm and called for diplomatic dialogue.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, tensions remain high. Just hours after the announcement, Pakistani drone attacks were reported in Jammu and Srinagar. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri accused Pakistan of violating the understanding and warned of strong retaliation.