World leaders call for restraint after India's strikes on Pakistan

UAE says diplomacy remains most effective means to resolve crises

Global leaders have called for restraint after India launched deadly missile strikes on Pakistan, in the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades.

India said it struck nine Pakistani sites, some of which it linked to an attack by Islamist militants on Hindu tourists that killed 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.

At least 38 deaths were reported, with Islamabad saying 26 civilians were killed by the Indian strikes and firing along the border, and New Delhi adding at least 12 dead from Pakistani shelling.

World leaders have reacted to the clashes.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace.

In a statement carried by the Wam news agency, Sheikh Abdullah stressed the importance of heeding the voices calling for dialogue and mutual understanding to prevent military escalation, strengthen stability in South Asia, and avoid further regional tensions.

“Diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity,” he said.

He added that the UAE will continue its efforts to support all initiatives aimed at achieving peaceful resolutions to regional and international conflicts and mitigating their humanitarian consequences.

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry encouraged both countries to "seek diplomatic channels" and resolve the situation peacefully, while Oman said they should seek to "contain this serious escalation".

US President Donald Trump said he hopes the fighting will end “very quickly”.

“It's a shame. Just heard about it. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past,” he said.

“They've been fighting for a long time. They've been fighting for many, many decades. I hope it ends very quickly.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was “closely” monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan.

“I echo [the US President's] comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.”

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he is “very concerned” about the Indian operations, calling for “maximum military restraint from both countries”.

“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”

China, which shares land borders with both countries and is a close ally of Pakistan, said it expressed “regret over India's military action this morning” and said it was “concerned about the current developments”.

“We call on both India and Pakistan to prioritise peace and stability, remain calm and restrained and avoid taking actions that further complicate the situation,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Beijing also offered to play a mediating role in reducing tensions.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei "expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan" and called on both sides to "exercise restraint". Iran, which borders Pakistan and maintains good relations with India, had offered to mediate last month.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on both countries to “show restraint in order to avoid escalation”.

“Nobody has anything to gain from prolonged confrontation between India and Pakistan. These are two major military powers, that is why we call for restraint,” he said.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “We are deeply concerned about the escalation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan.

“We call on the parties involved to exercise restraint in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the region.”