US President Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for preventing a full-fledged war between India and Pakistan in May, attributing his success to the threat of imposing tariffs as a deterrent.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump reiterated his long-standing claim, adding a new detail about the intensity of the conflict.
“India and Pakistan, eight planes were shot down. It was seven but now it is eight because the one that was sort of shot down is now abandoned,” Trump stated.
The President claimed that the power of tariffs allowed him to end “five or six wars, out of eight.”
The Tariff Claim: ‘I Settled the War’
Trump detailed his alleged intervention, emphasizing that his commerce-related threat was the deciding factor between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
“If you look at India and Pakistan, they were about to fight, two nuclear nations. Eight planes were shot down. And I said, ‘If you guys are going to fight, I am going to put tariffs on you.’ They were not happy, and within 24 hours, I settled the war. Without tariffs, I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Trump asserted.
This is the latest in a series of similar claims made by the President. Just a few days prior, while speaking at an event in Miami, Florida, and also at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, Trump made identical statements that his threats of cutting trade compelled New Delhi and Islamabad to cease fighting.
The Alleged Conflict and Truce
The situation escalated between the two nations in May following the Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people. India subsequently conducted raids on alleged terror bases across the border in what was referred to as Operation Sindoor.
According to Trump, the conversation for a truce occurred on May 9, and the two countries announced a ceasefire just a day later. He had previously claimed the conflict would have escalated into a “nuclear war” without his intervention.
India Firmly Rejects Third-Party Intervention
Despite President Trump’s repeated claims of mediation, India has consistently ruled out any third-party intervention in the truce.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) firmly rejected Trump’s narrative, stating that the ceasefire was achieved through established military communication channels between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both sides.
The Ministry reiterated India’s unchanging position: “India’s position remains unchanged, all issues with Pakistan are to be resolved bilaterally, without any third-party involvement.”