US President Donald Trump has once again publicly asserted that he played a decisive role in bringing India and Pakistan to a truce, adding fresh details to a claim that has been repeatedly rejected by Indian authorities. Speaking at a political event in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, Trump elaborated on his alleged intervention, citing threats of tariffs as the key factor that convinced both countries to halt hostilities.

According to Trump, the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalated to a point where planes were being shot down, and he personally took action to prevent a wider war. “You know, I was in the midst of a trade deal with both of them (India and Pakistan), and then I read on the front page of a certain newspaper… I heard they were going to war,” Trump said, as reported by PTI. The US president claimed that a total of eight planes had been downed during the military engagement—a slight revision from his earlier statement, when he had said seven planes were lost.

Trump framed his alleged intervention as a straightforward ultimatum: peace first, trade later. “I said, this is war, and they are going at it. And they are two nuclear nations. I said, ‘I’m not going to make any trade deals with you guys unless you agree to peace,’” he claimed. According to him, this statement reportedly shocked both New Delhi and Islamabad.

“The two nations said ‘No way. This has nothing to do…’ I said, ‘It has everything to do. You are nuclear powers. I’m not trading with you. We’re not making any deals with you if you’re at war with each other,’” Trump added. He said that following this intervention, a conversation took place on May 9, 2025, and by the following day, both countries had reportedly agreed to a ceasefire. “A day later, I get a call saying, ‘We made peace.’ They stopped. I said, ‘Thank you. Let’s do trade.’ Isn’t that great? Tariffs did that… Without tariffs, that would have never happened,” Trump said, receiving applause from the audience.

Trump’s Tariff Policy Against India and Pakistan

Trump also highlighted his tariff measures against the two countries as leverage for enforcing his purported peace initiative. While Pakistan faced a 19 percent tariff, India was hit with significantly higher levies. Initially, India was slapped with a 25 percent tariff as a response to what Trump described as having “the highest tariffs on US goods.” He later announced an additional 25 percent tariff on India, raising the total to 50 percent.

Trump explained that this additional penalty was tied to India’s purchase of Russian oil and its participation in the BRICS bloc, which he argued was enabling anti-American policies. In his narrative, these economic measures were instrumental in bringing the two countries to the negotiating table.

India Denies US Role in the Ceasefire

Indian authorities have consistently rejected Trump’s claims. During the G7 Summit in Canada earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly dismissed the idea that the US president had played any mediating role. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified in a press statement that “President Trump clearly was told that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-U.S. trade deals or US mediation between India and Pakistan.”

The Indian government maintains that any claims of US involvement are factually incorrect and politically motivated. According to Indian officials, no formal communications, ultimatums, or trade-linked negotiations influenced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

Background: India-Pakistan Military Conflict

The alleged truce followed a period of heightened military tension between India and Pakistan in 2025. The conflict escalated after India launched a tri-service military strike called ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting multiple terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Operation Sindoor was reportedly a retaliatory measure after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in April 2025, in which 26 tourists were killed. The Indian operation aimed to dismantle terror infrastructure that had been responsible for the attack, and it led to exchanges of fire between the two nations, bringing the region to a tense and volatile situation.

According to Trump, during the conflict, both sides engaged in active air combat, and his intervention supposedly prevented further escalation. However, official reports from India and Pakistan do not support Trump’s account, and the ceasefire that followed has been attributed to bilateral agreements and regional diplomacy rather than external pressure.

Trump’s Track Record and Self-Assessment

During the Miami event, Trump also highlighted his broader claims of conflict resolution, stating that he had “solved eight wars in the nine months he has been in office.” By placing India-Pakistan peace among these purported achievements, Trump aimed to reinforce his image as a global dealmaker capable of resolving high-stakes international disputes.

His remarks drew attention not only for the content but also for the controversial manner in which he linked trade policy directly to peacekeeping between nuclear powers—a connection that foreign policy experts have widely criticized as implausible.

Political and Diplomatic Implications

Trump’s repeated assertions have sparked reactions in both the United States and South Asia. Analysts point out that while such statements may play well to domestic audiences, they risk complicating diplomatic relations. India has been particularly firm in maintaining that no foreign mediation occurred, and the repeated public claims have been seen as undermining India’s autonomous foreign policy decisions.

Pakistan, meanwhile, has maintained a cautious stance and has not formally commented on Trump’s claims. The focus remains on stability and bilateral dialogue rather than acknowledging unilateral claims of intervention.

Experts also note that Trump’s narrative fits into a broader pattern of exaggerated personal involvement in international affairs, a hallmark of his public speeches since taking office. While the US president continues to assert his role as a peacemaker, the facts on the ground, corroborated by Indian and Pakistani officials, tell a markedly different story.

Conclusion

Trump’s latest statements reiterate his claim that his threat of tariffs led to a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May 2025. He added new details about downed planes, conversations with leaders, and trade leverage, framing himself as a decisive international actor.

However, India has categorically denied any US involvement in the truce, and independent analyses attribute the ceasefire to bilateral military and diplomatic mechanisms rather than external pressure. Operation Sindoor, regional security concerns, and structured negotiations between the two countries remain the recognized reasons behind the pause in hostilities.

As Trump continues to highlight the episode in public speeches, the controversy underscores the divergence between political narrative and verified diplomatic record, raising questions about the accuracy of claims that link US trade policy directly to peace agreements between nuclear nations.