US President Donald Trump has once again asserted that his intervention and threat of trade tariffs prevented a full-scale war between India and Pakistan earlier this year. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said that both nations were “on the brink of war” before he stepped in, claiming that eight planes were shot down during 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 said, boasting that he had “ended five or six wars out of eight” using tariffs as leverage.
Trump Says Tariffs Helped Avert Nuclear Conflict
Recounting his supposed intervention, Trump claimed that he had threatened both India and Pakistan with economic consequences if they went to war.
“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,” he told reporters.
Trump reiterated similar claims at an event in Miami, Florida, stating that his warning during ongoing trade talks with both nations had forced them to halt military action. He also repeated this version of events at the APEC Summit in South Korea last week, saying he “threatened India and Pakistan with tariffs” to stop a potential nuclear war.
Operation Sindoor and Trump’s “Truce” Timeline
According to Trump, the discussion about the ceasefire took place on May 9, and by the next day, India and Pakistan had agreed to halt fighting.
The tensions between the two nations had escalated following Operation Sindoor, India’s military strike on terror bases across the border after the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The operation led to a series of air skirmishes between the two sides.
Trump’s repeated claims of “mediating” peace, however, contradict India’s longstanding position that no foreign party has ever intervened in its talks with Pakistan.
India Strongly Denies Trump’s Version
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rejected Trump’s claims, reaffirming that the ceasefire agreement was achieved through direct military communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries.
“India’s position remains unchanged — all issues with Pakistan are to be resolved bilaterally, without any third-party involvement,” the MEA reiterated.
Indian officials have maintained that Trump’s version is inaccurate, stressing that the ceasefire followed established diplomatic and military protocols, not external mediation.
Donald Trump continues to claim that his tariff threats prevented an India-Pakistan war in May, asserting that eight aircraft were shot down before peace talks began. However, India has categorically denied any foreign role in the ceasefire, reaffirming that all matters with Pakistan are handled bilaterally.
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