In a recent statement, former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again asserted his role in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, this time explicitly linking it to his administration's tariff policies. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump claimed that his "power of tariffs" served as a crucial tool in preventing a full-blown war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors earlier this year.
Trump's comments reference the heightened tensions that followed India's "Operation Sindoor" in May 2025, a military campaign involving air and missile strikes on alleged terror bases within Pakistan, launched in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the death of 26 civilians.
"If I didn't have the power of tariffs, you would have at least four of the seven wars raging," Trump stated, adding, "If you look at India and Pakistan, they were ready to go at it. Seven planes were shot down... And then nuclear powers". He suggested his intervention, based on the threat of tariffs, proved decisive in bringing the conflict to a halt. "I don't want to say exactly what I said, but what I said was very effective. They stopped. And that was based on tariffs".
Trump highlighted the dual benefit of tariffs, stating, "Not only did we make hundreds of billions of dollars, but we're a peacekeeper because of tariffs". He has previously claimed that he warned both India and Pakistan that continued conflict would result in a severing of trade relations. "India and Pakistan were going at it. I called them both... I said, if you do this, there's not going to be any trade, and I stopped the war. It was raging for four days," Trump stated.
However, India has consistently maintained that the ceasefire and de-escalation were the result of direct military talks between the two nations. According to India's version of events, no foreign intervention influenced their decision to halt Operation Sindoor. Following the conflict in May, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that the ceasefire was negotiated "directly between the two countries under the existing channels established between both militaries".
Trump also alluded to praise from Pakistan's military leadership. "General Asim Munir told a group of people that I saved millions of lives because I stopped the war from going on," Trump said, referring to a recent meeting with the Pakistani Army chief and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The four-day military conflict saw a range of actions, including missile strikes and border skirmishes. Pakistan launched "Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos," claiming to have targeted Indian military bases. Ultimately, a ceasefire was agreed upon following communication between the Directors General of Military Operations from both sides. While the U.S., led by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, engaged in diplomatic efforts, the extent of their influence remains a point of contention.
The U.S. has historically played a role in India-Pakistan relations, particularly in times of crisis. While India has often been hesitant to accept external mediation on the Kashmir dispute, the U.S. has, at times, been called upon to help de-escalate tensions and encourage dialogue.
