The sudden announcement of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire followed four days of steady escalation between India and Pakistan and mixed signals from Washington.

India and Pakistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, unexpectedly halting the worst fighting in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors, just when their tit-for-tat strikes appeared to be spiraling out of control.

The first word of the truce came from U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform that he was pleased to announce that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. “Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”