With last-minute U.S. mediation, cooler heads prevailed between India and Pakistan. But a flare-up is inevitable.

A series of military strikes last week by India and Pakistan brought the nuclear-armed rivals closer to a broader war.

A day after reiterating that Op Sindoor is India's new normal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said not a single Pakistani missile could breach India's air bases.

India hit Pakistan with airstrikes deep into the country, killing dozens, but Pakistan shot down multiple Indian planes. India accused Pakistan of a drone attack near the Kashmiri line of control, which Pakistan denied;