New York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has praised India’s “measured, cautious and very professional” handling of the investigation into the car explosion near the Red Fort, calling the incident “clearly a terrorist attack.” He said Washington has offered assistance but stressed that New Delhi is “very capable” of managing such probes.
Speaking to the press in Hamilton, Canada, on Wednesday, Rubio said India deserves credit for the way it is conducting the investigation. “It was a car loaded with highly explosive materials that detonated and killed many people. I think they’re doing a very good job, and when they have facts, they’ll release them,” he said.
Rubio had met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Niagara. Asked about the Red Fort blast and rising India–Pakistan tensions—especially after May’s clashes and India’s Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack—Rubio said the situation has the potential to escalate, but “we’re going to wait and see what their investigation reveals.”
He added that although the US has offered support, “they don’t need our help. They’re doing a good job, and they have approached it professionally, as they usually do.”
India on Wednesday described the Red Fort explosion as a “heinous terror incident” and directed investigative agencies to act with “utmost urgency and professionalism” to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his return from Bhutan, reiterated India’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism and said the situation is being “closely monitored” at the highest levels. The Cabinet observed a two-minute silence for the victims and passed a resolution condemning the attack and expressing deep grief.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Cabinet conveyed its “profound grief” over the loss of lives in the November 10 blast.
Following his meeting with Rubio, Jaishankar wrote on X: “Good to meet @SecRubio this morning at #G7 FMM. Appreciate his condolences on the loss of lives in the blast in Delhi. Discussed our bilateral ties, focusing on trade and supply chains. Exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East/West Asia situation and Indo-Pacific.”
