President Donald Trump on Wednesday revived his claim that he prevented a full-scale India Pakistan war during hisState Of The Union(SOTU 2026) address, telling lawmakers that his intervention stopped what he described as a potential nuclear confrontation. Referring to the May 2025 escalation following the Pahalgam terror attack, Trump said: “Pakistan and India would have been in a nuclear war.”
The US President went further, stating, “Thirty-five million people — the Prime Minister of Pakistan said — would have died if it were not for my involvement.” The reference was to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Trump did not provide evidence for the casualty figure cited in his remarks.
Indian security forces inspect the site where militants indiscriminately opened fired on tourists on Tuesday, in Pahalgam.
The cross-border strikes triggered heightened military alert levels on both sides, raising concerns internationally about the possibility of escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Diplomatic channels remained active during the standoff, with multiple countries, including the United States, publicly urging restraint.
While Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire, the Indian government has not confirmed US mediation as the basis for de-escalation. New Delhi has maintained that decisions relating to military posture and disengagement were bilateral matters between India and Pakistan.
During SOTU 2026, Trump reiterated that trade pressure played a decisive role in calming tensions. He said he warned both nations that ongoing trade negotiations would be halted if hostilities continued. “I called them and I said, listen, I'm not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don't settle this up,” Trump told Congress.
He added that he threatened “200 per cent tariffs” on both countries if fighting escalated. Trump has made similar statements in previous speeches, including at a recent Board of Peace event, where he said economic leverage helped defuse the situation.
There has been no official confirmation from either New Delhi or Islamabad that tariff threats were formally presented as part of diplomatic communications during the crisis. Pakistan has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest remarks regarding Shehbaz Sharif’s alleged risk during the standoff.
Trump also listed the India Pakistan episode among what he described as “eight wars” he claimed to have ended, naming other global flashpoints including Cambodia-Thailand, Kosovo-Serbia and Israel-Iran.
GetLatest NewsLive on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines fromUS Newsand around theWorld.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
