Trump Claims Credit for India-Pakistan Ceasefire, Updates Number of Downed Fighter Jets to Eight

US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim about mediating peace between India and Pakistan, updating his count of fighter jets downed during the conflict from seven to eight. Speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami, he stated that the two nuclear-armed nations reached a peace agreement in May only after he threatened to cancel their trade deals.

This India-Pakistan situation was listed among eight conflicts that President Trump claimed to have resolved since taking office, including disputes between Kosovo-Serbia and Congo-Rwanda, as he continued to position himself as a global peacemaker.

"I was negotiating a trade deal with India and Pakistan when I read on the front page of a newspaper that they were going to war. Eight planes were shot down essentially, with the eighth being badly damaged. I realized this was war and they were seriously engaging each other. These are two nuclear nations. I told them, 'I won't make any trade deals with you unless you agree to peace,'" Trump explained.

The President claimed both Delhi and Islamabad initially resisted this approach, arguing that their conflict was unrelated to trade negotiations.

"The two nations insisted, 'No way. This has nothing to do with trade.' I responded, 'It has everything to do with it. You're nuclear powers. We won't trade with you or make any deals if you're at war with each other,'" he continued, adding that he received a call the following day that the countries had made peace. "I said, 'Thank you. Now let's discuss trade.' Isn't that remarkable? Without tariffs, this resolution would never have happened," Trump stated as the audience applauded.

India has denied the US President's account, stating that the ceasefire was achieved on May 10 after Pakistani commanders requested their Indian counterparts to halt the offensive.

Nevertheless, Trump continues to repeat his claim. Since May, he has maintained that India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following a "long night" of US-mediated talks. Reports indicate he has made this India-Pakistan claim approximately 60 times, while India consistently denies any Washington intervention.

India had launched strikes against terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7, as part of Operation Sindoor, in retaliation for the killing of 26 civilians by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in J&K's Pahalgam. The hostilities concluded after four days of cross-border firing and missile strikes, with Pakistan requesting a ceasefire.