Trump repeats claim that his involvement ended India-Pakistan ‘war’

US President Donald Trump once again claimed that he ended eight wars, including the India-Pakistan conflict, following the Pahalgam terror attack last year. In his State of the Union address, he said, “In my first 10 months, I ended eight wars… including Pakistan and India, which would have been a nuclear war. Thirty-five million people said the Prime Minister of Pakistan would have died if it were not for my involvement.” “Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Congo and Rwanda, and of course the war in Gaza. I wanna thank Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for your help,” he added, continuing the list of other conflicts that he claimed to have helped resolve. This is not the first time Trump has claimed credit for ending the conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad, despite India repeatedly denying any involvement by the United States. ## Trump’s claim in Board of Peace speech Earlier, speaking at the Board of Peace Event, the US president doubled down on his claims of helping “stop the war between India and Pakistan”, claiming that “11 expensive jets” were downed during the conflict. Trump said that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told his chief of staff that Trump had helped save 25 million lives. “He (Pakistani PM) said in front of our Chief of Staff that President Trump saved 25 million lives when he stopped the war between us and India…That war was raging. Planes were being shot down.” He also praised PM Narendra Modi, saying “He’s a great man”, in front of Sharif, who was present at the Board of Peace meeting. ## Trump’s ‘200% threat’ Trump said he threatened the two nations with “not doing trade deals” and “imposing 200 per cent tariffs” if the war wasn’t stopped. “And I got on the phone with both of them, and I knew them a little bit. I knew Prime Minister Modi very well…I called them, and I said, listen, I’m not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don’t settle this up… And all of a sudden, we worked out a deal. I said, if you fight, I’m going to put 200 per cent tariff on each of your countries.” “They both wanted to fight. But when it came to money, it’s nothing like money. When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, I guess we don’t want to fight…11 jets were shot down. Very expensive jets,” he added. Trump has made such claims close to 100 times since the conflict between the two nations ended. The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students. All reporting from the Global Desk adheres to The Indian Express’ editorial standards, relying on official data, government notifications, court documents, and on-record sources. The desk prioritises clarity, accuracy, and accountability, ensuring readers can navigate complex global systems with confidence. Core Team The Express Global Desk is led by a team of experienced journalists and editors with deep expertise in international affairs and migration policy: Aniruddha Dhar – Senior Assistant Editor with extensive experience in global affairs, international politics, and editorial leadership. Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage. Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ... Read More