US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that his threat to impose 250 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan helped bring their military confrontation to an end, renewing a claim that New Delhi has repeatedly disputed.

Speaking at a campaign rally, Trump said he warned both nuclear-armed neighbours that they would lose access to trade with the United States if they continued fighting.

“You stop India and Pakistan, two nuclear nations,” Trump said, describing what he portrayed as a direct intervention to prevent further escalation.

He claimed that he threatened both countries with tariffs of 250 per cent, adding that the warning angered their leadership but eventually stopped the fighting.

“They got very upset, very angry; they stopped shooting, and the war was over,” Trump said. He also repeated his claim that 11 aircraft had been shot down during the confrontation.

Trump went on to cite his claimed diplomatic interventions as evidence of his role in resolving international conflicts, expressing frustration that he had not received the Nobel Peace Prize.

India rejects claims of external mediation

India has consistently rejected Trump's account of the ceasefire, maintaining that the understanding to stop military action was reached through direct military communication between the two countries.

According to India's stated position, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart to request a halt to hostilities. New Delhi has also disputed Trump's claim about 11 aircraft being shot down.

The disagreement over the ceasefire's origins has persisted despite Trump's repeated assertions that his trade threats helped end the confrontation.

What happened during Operation Sindoor?

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). The operation followed the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

India said the strikes targeted terror infrastructure linked to the attack. Military action was paused on May 10 after a request from Pakistan, according to India's account.

With ANI inputs