Yes, you read that right. According to Trump, the threat of losing a U.S. trade agreement was enough to force India and Pakistan to put down their weapons during what he described as a terrifying four-day conflict in May. He also claimed five fighter jets were shot down during the exchange.
“We stopped a lot of wars. India and Pakistan were going at it. Planes were being shot out of the air. I think five jets were shot down, actually. These are serious nuclear countries,” said Trump. He added that his administration refused to proceed with trade talks unless both nations backed down from “throwing around nuclear weapons.”
But here’s the twist: India has firmly denied all of it.
The Indian government says there was no mediation—none at all. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally told Trump during a phone call that India never has and never will accept third-party mediation when it comes to national security matters. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that any understanding to de-escalate was achieved directly between India and Pakistan, with Pakistan actually initiating the request.
So why is Trump still repeating this claim, despite India’s pushback? Maybe he believes in the power of negotiation—or maybe he just wants to own the narrative. Either way, the facts remain unchanged on India’s end.
According to reports, the situation in May spiraled after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 civilians. India responded with powerful strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing over 100 militants. In retaliation, Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks on Indian sites, but most of these were neutralized.
On May 10, tensions reached a boiling point when Pakistan fired ballistic missiles at India. India struck back, damaging Pakistani military installations. That very day, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart and pleaded for a ceasefire—one India agreed to, conditionally.
PM Modi later addressed the nation, explaining that the operation—called Sindoor—was only paused, not canceled. He warned that any future provocation would be treated as an “Act of War.”
Trump’s repeated statements are stirring fresh debates not just among political experts, but also on social media. Some wonder whether he’s trying to inflate his diplomatic record. Others question if the world should be more worried about how easily nuclear tensions could flare up—and how loosely global leaders talk about them.
From where I stand, this moment shows just how fragile international diplomacy can be. Whether Trump’s claims were exaggerated or misunderstood, the fact is that peace between two nuclear-armed neighbors should never be taken lightly—or politicized. It also highlights how quickly misinformation can travel if it’s not checked, especially when it comes from powerful voices.
Let’s hope cooler heads continue to prevail in South Asia, because in this story, the stakes are way too high.
What do you think? Did Trump really play a role—or is this just another campaign trail tale? Drop your thoughts in the comment section below!
Tags: India Pakistan Ceasefire, Donald Trump, World News, Operation Sindoor, Nuclear Politics, US-India Relations
Poll:
Do you believe Donald Trump actually stopped a nuclear war between India and Pakistan?
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Yes
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No
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Maybe, but not exactly how he claims
For more real-time updates like this, follow us regularly on Daily South African Pulse. This article is based on verified reporting.
Sources:
~BILLY JAYDEN LOUIS
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