Yet, the danger of nuclear war remains "relatively small" between India and Pakistan, according to Mr Clary. "So long as there is not major ground combat along the border, the dangers of nuclear use remain relatively small and manageable," he said.

India and Pakistan engaged in the most intense fighting in decades with four days of escalating conflict that included fighter jets, missiles and drones packed with explosives. It ended almost as abruptly as it began.

A low-quality image of an Indian fighter jet engulfed in flames after crashing in September 2024 has been falsely claimed online to show an Indian jet downed amid escalated tensions between India and Pakistan in May 2025.

After days of intense firefights, Indian and Pakistani authorities say there were no reported incidents of firing overnight along the heavily militarized region between their countries.

New developments in the nuclear powers’ harrowing four-day conflict, along with entrenched religious nationalism on each side, could signal more frequent battles ahead.

India hit Pakistan with air strikes deep into the country, killing dozens, but Pakistan claimed to have shot down multiple Indian planes. (The details of that claim remain murky.) India accused Pakistan of a drone attack near the Kashmiri line of control,