"Look, we’re concerned about any time nuclear powers collide and have a major conflict," Vance told Fox News's Martha MacCallum in a segment. "What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit."
"But we’re not going to get involved in the middle of war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it," he asserted.
But he did admit the danger of nuclear confrontation if it were to spin out of control:
"Our hope and our expectation is that this is not going to spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict," Vance told MacCallum. "Sure, we’re worried about these things, but I think the job of diplomacy — but also the job of cooler heads in India and Pakistan — is to make sure this doesn’t become a nuclear war."
Interestingly, Vance had actually been visiting India last month when the Kashmir massacre unfolded, involving militants from the Pakistani side of the Line of Control (LOC) killing 26 mostly Indian tourists on April 22.
As for President Trump, he had soon after the killings stated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi " and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies." He said "Our hearts are with you all!"
But despite calls for de-escalation, the fight has been growing over the last 24 hours, with hundreds of drones being exchanged, and anti-aircraft fire active - and more crucially reports of major fighter jet engagements.
Of regional diplomatic efforts to defuse the situation, The NY Times writes Friday that "Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are sending their diplomats to try to de-escalate the conflict between India and Pakistan at a moment of particular global disarray."
The city of Jammu, on the Indian side, has been under two straight nights of Pakistani artillery fire - but some reports said this ceased at some point early Friday. Heavy artillery fire has been intermittent.