During a powerful address at Newsweek&rsquo;s headquarters in New York, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made it clear that India will not bow to nuclear intimidation or allow terrorism to go unpunished&mdash;regardless of where it originates.
Speaking near the symbolic 9/11 Memorial at One World Trade Center, Jaishankar said India would no longer tolerate proxy terror actors or shield the states that support them. He stressed that nuclear threats from Pakistan would not deter India from protecting its national interests.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve heard it far too often&mdash;that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, and so India should hold back. We&rsquo;re done with that mindset,&rdquo; Jaishankar said. &ldquo;If they strike, we will strike back&mdash;and we&rsquo;ll hit those responsible.&rdquo;
He emphasized that India would take strong action to defend its people and ensure that terrorist groups and their backers face consequences. &ldquo;There will be no impunity for terrorism, no free pass because they&rsquo;re proxies, and no yielding to nuclear blackmail,&rdquo; he declared, drawing applause from the audience.
Jaishankar underlined that terrorism is a global threat, not just India&rsquo;s burden. &ldquo;Any country using terrorism as a tool will eventually face its blowback. That&rsquo;s the reality,&rdquo; he warned, calling for &ldquo;zero tolerance&rdquo; worldwide.
Reflecting on the roots of terrorism in the region, Jaishankar recalled that India faced infiltration in Kashmir soon after gaining independence. He cited major attacks, including 26/11 and the 2001 Parliament assault, as turning points that shaped India&rsquo;s hardened stance.
He also referred to the recent April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 tourists were killed, as an act of &ldquo;economic warfare&rdquo; meant to cripple Kashmir&rsquo;s tourism-driven economy and stoke communal tensions.
&ldquo;This wasn&rsquo;t just a terror strike. It was designed to kill the economy and provoke religious conflict,&rdquo; Jaishankar said.
He highlighted that the infrastructure supporting such attacks isn&rsquo;t hidden. &ldquo;These terrorist organisations have their headquarters in Pakistan&rsquo;s urban centers. Everyone knows where they are. And those are the targets India struck,&rdquo; he added, referring to high-value strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor in retaliation.
With growing national consensus that &ldquo;enough is enough,&rdquo; Jaishankar reiterated India&rsquo;s commitment: protect its citizens, call out state-backed terrorism, and ensure the world takes a united stand against it. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

India Rejects Nuclear Blackmail, Vows Action

EAM Jaishankar says India won't spare terror sponsors, calls for global zero tolerance on terrorism

India Rejects Nuclear Blackmail, Vows Action

EAM Jaishankar says India won't spare terror sponsors, calls for global zero tolerance on terrorism

July 1, 2025 | 17:56 IST