Another bold Trump claim: ‘Saved India-Pak from war with 350% tariff threat’; India calls it false
PTC Web Desk: In yet another dramatic statement on the India-Pakistan conflict, US President Donald Trump has claimed that he stopped a potential war between the two nations by threatening both sides with a massive 350% tariff. Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally called him to say India would not go to war after the warning.
Donald Trump told the gathering, attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that he had informed both countries they could continue fighting, but a 350% tariff would be imposed on each. According to him, both India and Pakistan immediately urged him not to proceed.
He claimed he first received a call from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, followed by a call from PM Modi, who allegedly told him, “We are not going to war.” Trump said he responded by thanking Modi and proposing, “Let’s make a deal.”
The US President also said he alerted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as he prepared to impose the tariff hike, adding that he wanted to prevent “nuclear weapons being fired and nuclear dust floating over Los Angeles.”
Trump has repeatedly asserted, over 60 times since May, that he was responsible for brokering the ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India, however, has consistently denied his claims.
India maintains that the ceasefire, reached on May 10, resulted from direct engagement with Pakistan, not US intervention. Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister SJaishankar told Parliament that there was no phone call between PM Modi and President Trump during the hostilities. He clarified that only US Vice-President JD Vance contacted PM Modi about a possible large-scale Pakistani response.
Jaishankar also asserted that no trade-related threat was part of any conversation and dismissed Trump’s recurring claims of involvement in the ceasefire.
- With inputs from agencies
