US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he personally stopped a major India-Pakistan war have provoked fresh criticism from former Indian diplomats, including former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, who publicly questioned the credibility of Trump's assertions and their diplomatic implications.

In a speech at Quantico addressing US military leaders, President Trump asserted that he prevented a "very big" conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours, India and Pakistan. He specifically credited Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for praising his intervention, saying Munir told him he "saved millions of lives" and averted a disastrous war. Trump maintained that his tool for diplomacy was trade pressure—threatening to cut off all trade with both countries if hostilities escalated further.

Kanwal Sibal, India’s former Foreign Secretary, responded forcefully, calling Trump’s claims naïve and suggesting that the US president had been misled by Pakistani flattery. Sibal questioned how Trump could see himself as a shrewd negotiator when, in Sibal's words, he was so easily manipulated by those playing to his ego. "What naiveté!" Sibal exclaimed, directly accusing the president of being "fooled by Munir so easily".

India has consistently rejected any foreign mediation narrative regarding recent India-Pakistan tensions. Official statements from the Indian government emphasize that the ceasefire was negotiated directly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two nations, without any foreign intervention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also clarified before Parliament that no foreign leader, including Trump, requested India to halt its military operations, specifically Operation Sindoor.

Trump, during the same speech, touted what he claims are his achievements in global peace-building, noting that he had "settled seven wars" within his first nine months in office, and continuing to mention his efforts to broker peace in Gaza and purported influence over other international crises. He mentioned being suggested for a Nobel Prize if he could resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict but asserted that his already-accomplished peace interventions were deserving of similar recognition.

Since his social media post on May 10 announcing a supposed US-brokered, "full and immediate" ceasefire between India and Pakistan, President Trump has repeated these claims about his pivotal role nearly fifty times in public forums. This repetition has featured in both formal speeches and interviews, leading Indian officials to repeatedly reassert their narrative of direct, bilateral negotiation and to emphasise India's autonomy over its military decisions.

The episode has reignited debates in Indian diplomatic and strategic circles about the value and risk of foreign "mediation" in South Asian security crises. It highlights scepticism about the influence of external actors in Indo-Pak affairs, with top Indian voices emphasising India’s sovereign decision-making and dismissing attempts to recast the diplomatic record.

Based On Business Today Report