New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has renewed his claim that he prevented a potential military conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this year by threatening both countries with steep tariffs. Speaking at an investment forum in the United States, he said his warning of imposing a 350 per cent tariff convinced the two neighbours to step back from what he described as the brink of a nuclear confrontation.
Trump said he had repeatedly used economic pressure to resolve disputes and asserted that the situation between India and Pakistan was among the most serious he had encountered. According to him, he cautioned both sides that if they continued to escalate, the United States would suspend trade and enforce heavy tariffs. He claimed that leaders in both countries urged him not to proceed with the measure. Trump said he insisted that he would go ahead unless they pulled back from conflict, adding that the threat ultimately led to a de-escalation.
He recounted that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked him for helping prevent a large-scale loss of life. Trump also said he later received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi informing him that hostilities would not continue, which Trump described as confirmation that the crisis had been defused. He added that the move opened the door for renewed trade discussions with both countries.
The US president highlighted this approach as part of his broader strategy of using economic tools to address global disputes. He said several international tensions had eased because of trade measures or the threat of them, positioning his administration’s method as distinct from traditional diplomatic interventions.
Trump first stated in May that India and Pakistan had agreed to halt hostilities after what he called extensive overnight discussions involving Washington. Since then, he has repeated the claim many times. India, however, has consistently maintained that there was no third-party mediation and stated that the ceasefire understanding reached on May 10 followed direct communication between the military leadership of the two nations.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to a deadly attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan administered regions, after which both sides agreed to halt cross border firing through established military channels.
