US President Donald Trump dances after speaking during a rally at Florida Gulf Coast University's Alico Arena ahead of the midterm elections, in Fort Myers, Florida, US, Oct 23, 2026. REUTERS
Published : 24 Oct 2026, 01:15 PM
Updated : 24 Oct 2026, 01:15 PM
US President Donald Trump has claimed he averted an all-out war between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan last year by threatening both nations with punitive trade tariffs of up to 250 percent, India Today reports.
Addressing a campaign rally in Florida on Friday ahead of the Nov 3 midterm elections, Trump repeated his assertion that he had resolved eight global conflicts, using trade policy as direct leverage to halt cross-border hostilities following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in 2025.
"You stop India and Pakistan. Two nuclear [nations]—you stopped them. There I did on trade. I said, 'fellas, if you guys are going to do that, you're not going to trade with the United States and make a lot of money. And I'm going to put massive tariffs on both of you, 250%, so you won't be able to do any business'.
“And they got very upset, very angry, and they stopped shooting, and the war was over," Trump told supporters, while also voicing frustration at being overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize.
New Delhi, however, has consistently dismissed claims of external mediation.
According to Indian officials, the cessation of hostilities during Operation Sindoor was achieved directly after Pakistan's director general of military operations approached his Indian counterpart on May 10 to request a pause in military action.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting terror launchpads and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.