US President Donald Trump has publicly claimed that he averted a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025 by leveraging the threat of withholding US trade deals.

Speaking at a NATO summit in The Hague, Trump stated that he used “a series of phone calls on trade” to pressure both countries into stepping back from military escalation during a period of intense cross-border hostilities.

According to Trump, his intervention involved direct communication with both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir. Trump recounted that he told both leaders, “If you’re going to go fighting each other, we’re not doing any trade deal,” and claimed that economic incentives convinced them to choose diplomacy over conflict.

He emphasised the seriousness of the situation, referencing the nuclear capabilities of both nations and describing the recent violence as “very bad”. Trump further asserted that both sides expressed a strong desire to pursue trade agreements, which he used as leverage to “stop the nuclear war”.

The conflict in question followed India’s Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes against Pakistani terror infrastructure on May 7, 2025, in retaliation for a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 civilians. The escalation led to four days of intense drone and missile exchanges before a ceasefire was announced on May 10.

Despite Trump’s repeated assertions, the Indian government has categorically denied that US mediation or trade threats played a decisive role in the de-escalation. Indian officials maintain that the cessation of hostilities was achieved through direct military-to-military contact between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, initiated at Islamabad’s request. Prime Minister Modi reportedly told Trump in a phone call that India does not and will “never accept” external mediation in its disputes with Pakistan.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that, while senior officials in New Delhi and Washington were in regular contact during the crisis, the ceasefire understanding was reached independently and not as a result of US intervention. This position has been echoed in public statements and has led to domestic political debate in India, with opposition parties criticizing the Modi government over Trump’s repeated claims.

The episode highlights both the volatility of India-Pakistan relations and the complex role the US plays in South Asian geopolitics. While the US maintains significant economic ties with both countries—bilateral trade with India alone reached USD 131.84 billion in fiscal year 2024-25—Trump’s characterization of his role as the key peacemaker has been met with scepticism by Indian officials and has not been independently corroborated by either government involved.

President Trump claims to have prevented a nuclear war between India and Pakistan by threatening to withhold trade deals, a narrative he has promoted as one of his proudest diplomatic achievements. 

However, this account is strongly disputed by Indian authorities, who credit direct military dialogue for the de-escalation, and there is no independent confirmation that Trump’s trade threats were the decisive factor in resolving the crisis.

Based On ANI Report