‘Could have turned into nuclear disaster’: Trump repeats claim US halted India-Pakistan conflict

But, things did not just stop at the Oval Office press conference. The US President, following his visit to US Steel’s Mon Valley Works–Irvin plant near Pittsburgh, again said: “I think the deal I’m most proud of is the fact that we’re dealing with India, we’re dealing with Pakistan, and we were able to stop potentially a nuclear war through trade as opposed through bullets. You know, normally they do it through bullets. We do it through trade. So, I’m very proud of that. Nobody talks about it. But we had a very nasty potential war going on between Pakistan and India. And now, if you look, they’re doing fine.”

#WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, “I think the deal I’m most proud of is the fact that we’re dealing with India, we’re dealing with Pakistan, and we were able to stop potentially a nuclear war through trade as opposed through bullets. You know, normally they do it through… pic.twitter.com/63wkY2O054

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025

About two weeks after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that had left 26 civilians dead, India had launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. After days of drone and missile exchanges, the two countries announced on May 10 that they had reached an understanding to end the fighting.

India, however, has emphasised that the de-escalation was the result of direct communication between the two countries’ military leadership, specifically through talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs). “No third party was involved” has been New Delhi’s stance since the beginning.

At a press briefing on Thursday, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, too, denied any link between US tariffs and the May 10 ceasefire. “From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 till the understanding on cessation of firing and military action on May 10, there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation but the issue of trade or tariff did not come up in any of those discussions,” he said.

Trump has, however, presented a different version of events. “We talked trade and we said, ‘We can’t trade with people that are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons,’” he said.

He went on to thank the governments of both nations: “I want to thank the leaders of India, the leaders of Pakistan, and I want to thank my people also,” he said. “They understood, and they agreed, and that all stopped.”

Although neither India nor Pakistan has publicly acknowledged any US role in brokering the ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for easing tensions in the region. His remarks on Friday echoed earlier statements made, in which he framed himself as a mediator capable of averting disaster on the world stage.

“We are stopping others from fighting also,” Trump said. “Because ultimately, we can fight better than anybody. We have the greatest military in the world. We have the greatest leaders in the world.”