Tokyo / New Delhi / Washington — U.S. President Donald Trump has repeated his claim that seven aircraft were shot down during the May 2025 military conflict between India and Pakistan, asserting that his intervention and trade leverage helped bring the fighting to an end within 24 hours.
Speaking at a business leaders’ dinner in Tokyo, Trump said his administration’s trade pressure prevented further escalation.
“If you look at India and Pakistan, they were going at it — seven brand-new, beautiful planes were shot down,” Trump said. “I told Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Field Marshal Asim Munir, ‘We’re not doing any trade if you’re going to fight.’ Within 24 hours that was the end of it.”
Trump characterized his role as “a great service to the world,” linking peace to trade diplomacy.
However, India has rejected Trump’s account, calling it “factually incorrect and misleading.” Officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that New Delhi does not recognize any claim of foreign mediation in its bilateral matters with Pakistan, especially regarding defense or conflict resolution.
“India’s position remains consistent — all issues with Pakistan must be resolved bilaterally and peacefully. There was no foreign intervention or mediation,” an MEA spokesperson said, adding that India “categorically denies any figure or statement suggesting seven aircraft were lost.”
Indian defense sources maintain that the Indian Air Force successfully repelled Pakistani aggression and that only limited damage occurred during the short conflict. Pakistan, meanwhile, claims to have downed six Indian fighter jets, including a Rafale, a claim India continues to dismiss as propaganda.
The May 2025 clashes, among the most serious between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades, were triggered by an attack on Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. India blamed Pakistan-based groups for the assault, while Islamabad denied involvement and accused India of fabricating evidence for political purposes.
The conflict saw missile and drone strikes, artillery fire, and aerial engagements before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was announced.
Trump’s latest remarks come amid strained U.S.–India relations, following Washington’s decision to raise tariffs on Indian goods to 50% and its criticism of India’s continued oil imports from Russia.
Despite tensions, Indian officials have emphasized that the strategic partnership with the U.S. remains intact, though they view Trump’s comments as “unhelpful and inaccurate.”