Donald Trump on Thursday repeated his assertion that he mediated between India and Pakistan during a military standoff in May 2025, a claim New Delhi has consistently rejected, maintaining that it does not accept third-party mediation.
Speaking at his Board of Peace event, Trump revived his allegation that multiple aircraft were downed during the confrontation.
“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…” the US President said during the event.
India has firmly denied this claim.
Shifting Figures On Jets
Over recent months, Trump has claimed more than 80 times that he halted the India-Pakistan conflict. His statements regarding the number of jets allegedly shot down have varied.
A week ago, he said 10 jets were downed during the standoff. In his earliest remarks, he cited five jets, later revising the figure to seven in August and eight in November, followed by 10 and now 11.
Trade And Tariff Leverage Claim
Trump also alleged that he used trade agreements and tariff threats to pressure both countries to de-escalate — an assertion not ratified by New Delhi.
“…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,” he said.
Reference To PM Modi
During his remarks, Trump also referred to Narendra Modi, claiming the Indian Prime Minister was following the event.
“I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. He’s excited. He’s watching us right now,” the US President said.
