In an interview aboard Air Force One with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, US President Donald Trump claimed credit for helping defuse rising tensions between India and Pakistan, saying he pushed both nations toward peace and trade over conflict.
“I think we convinced them (India and Pakistan) to let’s have peace and let’s go and make trade deals. If we can make trade deals, we like that much better than nuclear weapons and that was a good thing,” Trump told Hannity, during a discussion on recent foreign policy achievements.
Trump further said, “I don’t think there has been a period like this, with a potential nuclear war and two countries they have very good leaders, people I know very well. It was a very important process we got involved with India and Pakistan.”
He also credited Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their roles in the diplomatic push. Speaking to media earlier this week, Trump emphasized, “We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed… On Saturday, my administration helped broker an immediate cessation of hostilities, I think a permanent one between India and Pakistan.”
He added, “I’m very proud to let you know that the leadership of India and Pakistan was unwavering and powerful… And we helped a lot, and we also helped with trade. I said, ‘Come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let’s stop it, let’s stop it. If you stop it, we’re doing trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade.'”
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) offered a different account. On Tuesday evening, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that while there had been conversations with US officials regarding the evolving military situation after the launch of Operation Sindoor, trade was not part of those discussions.
“From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 till the understanding on cessation of firing and military action on 10th May, there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation. The issue of trade did not come up in any of these discussions,” Jaiswal said in response to a media query.
Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian Armed Forces, targeted nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The operation reportedly neutralized over 100 terrorists, with India also launching strikes on several Pakistani airbases.
Although tensions soared after Pakistan attempted military retaliation, both countries reached a mutual understanding halting firing and military action after the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart. Indian officials have maintained that the ceasefire agreement was bilateral, and not mediated by any third party.