Washington DC: United States President Donald Trump has once again claimed that he used trade tariffs to prevent a potential large-scale war between India and Pakistan, asserting that his intervention “settled” the conflict within 24 hours.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said, “Of the eight wars I ended, five or six were because of tariffs. 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’m going to put tariffs on you.’ They weren’t happy, and within 24 hours, I settled the war. Without tariffs, I couldn’t have done that.”
Trump was referring to border clashes between India and Pakistan following India’s precision strikes in May this year under Operation Sindoor, targeting Pakistani terror camps after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
During the same briefing — held after announcing a new policy to reduce prices of weight-loss drugs — Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “a great man” and “a friend,” while suggesting he may visit India next year.
“He (PM Modi) largely stopped buying from Russia. He’s a friend of mine, and we speak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a great man. He wants me to go there, and I will. We’ll figure that out,” Trump said when asked about his travel plans, adding that “it could be” on the agenda.
Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated Trump’s commitment to strengthening the India-US relationship, calling it a partnership the President “feels very strongly about.”
“The President is positive and feels very strongly about the India-US relationship. A few weeks ago, he spoke to Prime Minister Modi directly while celebrating Diwali in the Oval Office with senior Indian-American officials,” Leavitt noted.
Trump’s recent remarks echo comments he made at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea last week, where he claimed he “threatened India and Pakistan with tariffs” to avert a potential nuclear conflict.
However, India has dismissed Trump’s version of events. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved through existing military communication channels between the Director Generals 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.
