India, May 12 -- When US vice president JD Vance telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9 to discuss an American assessment of a dramatic escalation by Pakistan, the prime minister told him New Delhi's response would be "more forceful, stronger, more devastating" than anything done by Islamabad, people familiar with the conversation said on Sunday.

India's position - that there would be a greater and more forceful Indian response to every Pakistani military action - was reiterated by external affairs minister S Jaishankar in conversations with his counterparts from across the world following the launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, the people said on condition of anonymity. These interlocut...