WASHINGTON, May 11: A fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan appeared to hold on Sunday, with no fresh violations reported overnight after four days of intense cross-border violence that left dozens dead and stoked fears of a full-scale war between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

The ceasefire, which came after days of missile and drone strikes across the Line of Control, was brokered in part through last-minute diplomatic intervention by the United States. Initially, U.S. officials had downplayed the crisis, with Vice President JD Vance reportedly saying the conflict was “none of our business.” However, that stance shifted dramatically after U.S. intelligence flagged the potential for rapid escalation.

According to CNN, Vance personally called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after receiving “alarming intelligence.” The call, along with pressure from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, pushed the U.S. to engage more directly in efforts to de-escalate the crisis.

President Donald Trump quickly took credit for helping to secure the ceasefire. In a post on Truth Social, he praised the restraint shown by both countries and claimed the outcome as a diplomatic win for his administration.

“Millions of good and innocent people could have died!” Trump wrote. “Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions.” He added that he would now work “to see if, after a ‘thousand years’, a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.”

Trump also pledged to "increase trade substantially" with both nations and reiterated his intent to serve as a mediator in the long-standing Kashmir dispute — a flashpoint that has already sparked three wars between India and Pakistan since their independence.

Tensions had escalated dramatically following an April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a town in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead, most of them Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack and launched retaliatory strikes, leading to a rapid spiral of violence across the border.

While the ceasefire brought temporary calm, mutual distrust remains high. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri accused Pakistan of breaching the truce just hours after it was declared, citing repeated violations. Pakistan's foreign ministry rejected the claims, stating that Indian forces fired first and that Pakistani troops had responded with "restraint."

In border towns such as Amritsar and Srinagar, residents reported a return to relative normalcy, though many remained on edge. Blackouts and air-defense system activations had become routine in recent nights, and sirens resumed only after signs of de-escalation.

With over 2 million combined troops, any sustained conflict between India and Pakistan would mark one of the largest military confrontations since World War II. The heavily militarized Kashmir region remains a tinderbox, and despite the ceasefire, the possibility of renewed clashes looms.

Still, Trump’s assertive role in the ceasefire process has reshaped the diplomatic landscape. Whether his promise to find a lasting solution to Kashmir materializes remains to be seen — but for now, his intervention has helped pause a potentially catastrophic conflict.