Donald Trump claims his ‘200% tariff’ threat ended a near-nuclear India-Pakistan conflict where 10 jets were shot down. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif praised his mediation, but India has consistently refuted these claims of third-party involvement.
US President Donald Trump reiterated his claim of mediating a “ceasefire” between India and Pakistan in 2024 with his threats of “200 per cent tariffs” as he argued against the US Supreme Court ruling to invalidate his reciprocal tariffs. While reiterating his claim, Trump, this time, said that 10 fighter jets were shot down during the conflict, backtracking from his claim of 11 jets yesterday.
“Tariffs have likewise been used to end 5 of the 8 wars I have settled. I have settled 8 wars, whether you like it or not, including India- Pakistan, big ones, which could have been nuclear. The Prime Minister of Pakistan said yesterday at the Peace Board meeting that President Trump could have saved 35 million lives by getting us to stop fighting. They were getting ready to do some bad things,” Trump said.
“10 planes were shot down. That war is going and probably going nuclear. I did it largely with tariffs. I said look if you are going to fight, then it’s fine, but you are not doing business with US, and you are going to pay a 200 per cent tariff, each country, and they called up and said we have made peace,” he added.
Context: Supreme Court Ruling on Tariffs
This comes after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Trump administration exceeded its legal authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to impose broad-based import tariffs.
Pakistan PM Endorses Trump’s Mediation Claim
During the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif also showered praises on Trump for his mediation in the conflict, calling him a “man of peace” and “saviour of people of South Asia.”
“Your timely and very effective intervention to achieve a ceasefire between India and Pakistan potentially averted the loss of millions of people’s lives. You have truly proved to be a man of peace and let me say you are turly saviour of the people of South Asia,” Shehbaz Sharif said.
India Rejects Claim, Cites Bilateral Resolution
Post-Pahalgam terror attack in April of 2024, in which 26 people were killed. India, in response to the attack, launched precise attacks on Pakistan’s terrorist infrastructure under Operation Sindoor.
India has consistently refuted Trump’s claims, stating that the ceasefire was achieved bilaterally through the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs), without third-party involvement. India has also reiterated its long-standing position that any issues with Pakistan, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, are to be resolved bilaterally between the two countries.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)