India
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday once again claimed credit for averting a military conflict between India and Pakistan, this time adding a new twist to his narrative by alleging that “11 jets were shot down” during the May 2025 standoff. Speaking at his Board of Peace event, Trump insisted that his interventions and the threat of trade sanctions were critical in preventing the escalation of hostilities.
“When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, I guess we don’t want to fight…11 jets were shot down. Very expensive jets,” Trump said, emphasizing the supposed financial stakes involved. These claims, however, have been strongly denied by India, which has consistently rejected any suggestion of third-party mediation in its disputes with Pakistan.
Trump has repeatedly asserted over recent months that he played a key role in halting the India-Pakistan confrontation. In fact, he has made varying claims about the number of jets allegedly shot down, starting with five in his initial remarks last year. The figure then rose to seven in August, eight in November, and 10 earlier this month, before reaching the latest number of 11 jets. Such inconsistencies have drawn widespread skepticism from experts and officials in both countries.
In addition to the aircraft claims, Trump alleged that he used trade deals and tariffs as leverage to pressure India and Pakistan into backing down. “I called them and I said, listen, I’m not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don’t settle this up… And all of a sudden, we worked out a deal. I said, if you fight, I’m going to put 200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries,” Trump said. These assertions remain unverified and have not been confirmed by either New Delhi or Islamabad.
Halfway through his speech, Trump also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that the Indian leader was watching the event live. “I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. He’s excited. He’s watching us right now,” Trump said, adding another layer of dramatization to his narrative.
Despite repeated denials and clarifications from Indian officials, Trump’s statements continue to attract media attention, reinforcing his pattern of using international crises as a backdrop to assert his influence and negotiating prowess. Analysts caution that such claims are politically charged and largely anecdotal, with no corroborating evidence from either country.
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