US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that his threat of imposing steep tariffs prevented a full-scale war between India and Pakistan in May 2025, while India continues to firmly reject any suggestion of foreign mediation, reiterating that the ceasefire was achieved solely through bilateral military channels.

Trump, speaking during a Cabinet meeting in Maryland, repeated his assertion that he had “ended eight wars” during his presidency. He said that while he initially thought the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be the first one he would stop, he instead used tariffs to halt the India-Pakistan confrontation.

He claimed that eleven planes had been shot down during the fighting and that the situation was escalating dangerously. According to Trump, he threatened both countries with a 250 per cent tariff if they continued hostilities, and within a day, they agreed to stop.

He further stated that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told him he had saved fifty million lives, stressing the nuclear dimension of the crisis.

The confrontation itself stemmed from the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed twenty-six civilians. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The operation involved precision strikes on camps, launchpads, and logistical facilities linked to cross-border terrorism. India has consistently maintained that the subsequent ceasefire was achieved after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart through established military channels on 10 May 2025, requesting a halt to escalation.

Trump’s repeated claims of stopping the war through tariffs have been met with strong rejection in New Delhi. India has emphasised that all issues with Pakistan, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, are strictly bilateral and leave no room for third-party involvement.

Officials have also dismissed Trump’s assertion that eleven aircraft were shot down, stating that such claims are inaccurate and not supported by official records. India’s position remains that the cessation of hostilities was the result of direct military communication and not external intervention.

Trump has continued to frame his actions as part of a broader record of conflict resolution, often citing his role in ending wars in other regions such as Azerbaijan-Armenia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Rwanda.

He has also linked his approach to his belief that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, arguing that his personality and use of economic leverage allowed him to settle conflicts others could not.

India’s rejection of Trump’s narrative underscores its long-standing diplomatic stance that bilateralism is the cornerstone of its engagement with Pakistan. This position has been reiterated repeatedly in response to Trump’s statements, with Indian officials stressing that the ceasefire during Operation Sindoor was achieved without any foreign mediation.

The divergence between Trump’s claims and India’s official account highlights the continuing tension in how the episode is portrayed internationally.

ANI