Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
US President Donald Trump has reiterated his assertion that he played a crucial role in averting conflict between India and Pakistan by proposing hefty 350% trade tariffs. Speaking during the US-Saudi Investment Forum on Wednesday, Trump stated that both nations' leaders reached out to him, affirming their intent to avoid military confrontation.
He claims to have cautioned both India and Pakistan about imposing an enormous 350% tariff should hostilities persist. Trump recounted a conversation in which Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude for averting catastrophe, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reportedly confirmed that war was off the table. Trump's depiction of his discussion with Modi involved expressing thanks and facilitating a “deal” to prevent escalation.
Over recent months, Trump has made similar claims, stating he was instrumental in brokering a ceasefire after the May 10 conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. However, his claims have evolved, with previous assertions citing tariffs of varying degrees, from 200% to 350%.
In contrast, the Indian government has refuted Trump's claims. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized earlier this year that there was no direct communication between Prime Minister Modi and Trump amid the tensions, with only US Vice President JD Vance reportedly contacting Modi to highlight a possible threat from Pakistan. India's stance is that trade tariffs were not a topic of conversation, and ceasefire arrangements were handled directly between India and Pakistan.
The tensions between the two countries spiked in May 2025 following India’s Operation Sindoor, initiated in retaliation for a terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. Despite Trump's ongoing declarations of credit for defusing the situation, India asserts that the ceasefire resulted from direct, bilateral negotiations.
Delivered in front of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump's latest assertions are part of a longstanding trend of embellished claims regarding his role in global affairs. Analysts remark that while the US may have contributed diplomatically, the suggestion that Trump singularly prevented a war diverges from the official narrative provided by India.
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