New Delhi — U.S. President Donald Trump has again claimed credit for mediating peace between India and Pakistan earlier this year, saying he threatened to impose 250% tariffs on both countries during their four-day military escalation in May.
Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Trump recounted that he had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, warning that the U.S. would halt trade if the two nuclear-armed neighbours continued fighting.
“I said I was going to put 250% tariffs on each country … within 48 hours, they called and said they understood — and the war stopped,” Trump told the audience, adding that “seven planes were shot down” during the confrontation.
He went on to praise both leaders personally — describing Modi as “tough as hell” yet “a great guy” — and claimed that his intervention “saved millions of lives.”
India Rejects Third-Party Mediation
Officials in New Delhi have repeatedly denied that any foreign leader, including Trump, intervened in Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strike in Pakistan following an attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
Prime Minister Modi has maintained that India does not accept third-party mediation on issues involving Pakistan.
Indian media reports note that Trump has made similar statements more than 50 times since May, each time claiming that trade leverage or tariffs helped end the conflict.
Political Reactions
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, responding on social media, accused Trump of “insulting Modi in country after country” and challenged the prime minister to respond.
“Trump said he used trade to frighten Modi into stopping Operation Sindoor and that seven planes were shot down,” Gandhi wrote on X. “Don’t be scared, Modi-ji — find the courage to respond.”
The U.S. administration has not provided evidence of Trump’s claims, and neither India nor Pakistan has confirmed any direct mediation by Washington during the May conflict.