US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim that he played a direct role in preventing a nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan during escalations earlier this year. Speaking at a White House cabinet meeting, he said he had blunt conversations with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani leaders, warning that trade deals would be blocked if hostilities continued.
“I am talking to a very terrific man, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. I said what’s going on with you and Pakistan? The hatred was tremendous,” Trump said. He claimed he told Modi, “I don’t want to make a trade deal with you... You guys are going to end up in a nuclear war.”
According to Trump, he threatened tariffs and walked away from trade talks until both sides pulled back.
He added, "But I said, what's going on? I said, I don't want to make a trade deal.... I said, no, no, I don't want to make a trade deal with you. You're going to have a nuclear war. You guys are going to end up in a nuclear war. And that was very important to them. I said, call me back tomorrow, but we're not going to do any deals with you, or we're going to put tariffs on you that are so high. I don't give a damn. Your head's going to spin. You're not going to end up in a war. Within about five hours, it was done. It was done. Now maybe it starts again, I don't know. I don't think so. But I'll stop it if it does. We can't let these things happen."
Disputed version of events
Trump also repeated that several fighter jets were downed during the clashes. “That’s not good, that’s a lot of jets. 150 million dollar planes were shot down, a lot of them – seven, maybe it could be higher, they never revealed the true numbers,” he said.
India, however, has consistently denied any foreign mediation. Officials maintain that a ceasefire agreement was reached directly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both sides. Prime Minister Modi and senior ministers, including Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar and Amit Shah, have publicly rejected any suggestion of third-party involvement.
Operation Sindoor and US designation of TRF
The tensions followed the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians and was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba proxy. India launched Operation Sindoor in response, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In June, the United States designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “The organisation claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.”
India welcomed the move. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “The Resistance Front is a front organisation of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and we welcome this designation as a strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.”
Fresh tariff tensions
Even as the debate over Trump’s intervention continues, US-India trade ties have come under strain. The Trump administration has published a draft plan to impose a 50 per cent duty on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil. The duties will apply from 27 August 2025, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.
Prime Minister Modi responded firmly during a public address in Ahmedabad. “For Modi, interests of farmers, cattle rearers and small-scale industries are paramount. Pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it all,” he said, urging Indians to rely more on swadeshi products.
Despite tariff tensions, both governments have kept engagement open. Senior officials from both sides held a virtual 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue this week, focusing on cooperation in defence, energy, regional security and critical minerals.
“I am talking to a very terrific man, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. I said what’s going on with you and Pakistan? The hatred was tremendous,” Trump said. He claimed he told Modi, “I don’t want to make a trade deal with you... You guys are going to end up in a nuclear war.”
According to Trump, he threatened tariffs and walked away from trade talks until both sides pulled back.
He added, "But I said, what's going on? I said, I don't want to make a trade deal.... I said, no, no, I don't want to make a trade deal with you. You're going to have a nuclear war. You guys are going to end up in a nuclear war. And that was very important to them. I said, call me back tomorrow, but we're not going to do any deals with you, or we're going to put tariffs on you that are so high. I don't give a damn. Your head's going to spin. You're not going to end up in a war. Within about five hours, it was done. It was done. Now maybe it starts again, I don't know. I don't think so. But I'll stop it if it does. We can't let these things happen."
#WATCH | "...I am talking to a very terrific man, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. I said what's going on with you and Pakistan. Then I am talking to Pakistan about trade. I said what's going on with you and India? The hatred was tremendous. This has been going on for a… pic.twitter.com/gJVOTmKjXN
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2025
Disputed version of events
Trump also repeated that several fighter jets were downed during the clashes. “That’s not good, that’s a lot of jets. 150 million dollar planes were shot down, a lot of them – seven, maybe it could be higher, they never revealed the true numbers,” he said.
India, however, has consistently denied any foreign mediation. Officials maintain that a ceasefire agreement was reached directly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both sides. Prime Minister Modi and senior ministers, including Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar and Amit Shah, have publicly rejected any suggestion of third-party involvement.
Operation Sindoor and US designation of TRF
The tensions followed the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians and was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba proxy. India launched Operation Sindoor in response, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In June, the United States designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “The organisation claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.”
India welcomed the move. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “The Resistance Front is a front organisation of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and we welcome this designation as a strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.”
Fresh tariff tensions
Even as the debate over Trump’s intervention continues, US-India trade ties have come under strain. The Trump administration has published a draft plan to impose a 50 per cent duty on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil. The duties will apply from 27 August 2025, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.
Prime Minister Modi responded firmly during a public address in Ahmedabad. “For Modi, interests of farmers, cattle rearers and small-scale industries are paramount. Pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it all,” he said, urging Indians to rely more on swadeshi products.
Despite tariff tensions, both governments have kept engagement open. Senior officials from both sides held a virtual 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue this week, focusing on cooperation in defence, energy, regional security and critical minerals.
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