By Sulagna Halder
Washington DC, 3 July 2025:
During talks at the Quad foreign ministers meeting in Washington, DC, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar confirmed that the goal of India's Operation Sindoor was communicated "with great clarity." "The message was delivered with great clarity," he told the media, adding that "terrorists must be held accountable and brought to justice."
India's measured response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 was Operation Sindoor, which involved striking nine suspected terrorist sites without raising tensions or going over the Line of Control. India is "very resolved … to respond to it very firmly and we have the right to defend ourselves," Jaishankar informed his Quad counterparts, which included representatives from the US, Japan, and Australia.
Dr. Jaishankar spoke with FBI Director Kash Patel and US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on the fringes of the Quad meeting. He expressed gratitude for "our strong cooperation in countering organised crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism." He shared on X:
“Great to meet @FBIDirectorKash today. Appreciate our strong cooperation in countering organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism.”
In order to strengthen India-US relations in the areas of security, defense, and critical technologies, he also met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In a wider geopolitical context, Jaishankar’s focus shifted to Ukraine, affirming India’s support for a diplomatic resolution. According to sources, he emphasised the significance of maintaining sovereign territorial integrity and talked about how current international conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, highlight the need for improved intelligence and counterterrorism cooperation.
A vision of international security partnerships was emphasised during the meetings. Declaring the necessity of "global unity" in the fight against terrorism and cross border threats, Jaishankar emphasised India's dedication to bilateral and multilateral cooperation. These interactions, according to analysts, are indicative of India's two pronged approach: enhancing security alliances with major democracies and demonstrating military might through Operation Indoor. The meetings also reaffirm New Delhi's commitment to managing modern security crises, from full scale wars like the one in Ukraine to regional terrorism, by combining strong defense policies with diplomatic engagement.
India's interaction with the US intelligence leadership indicates increased trust and paves the way for more extensive cooperation in fields like geopolitical intelligence sharing, cyber security, and terrorism.
