New York, May 17 – Former US President Donald Trump has claimed that his intervention during the recent India-Pakistan conflict helped prevent a potential nuclear escalation, calling it a “bigger success than I'll ever be given credit for.”
In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump said his outreach to leaders of both countries played a critical role in defusing a dangerously escalating situation. “Those are major nuclear powers. Those are not like a little bit, and they were angry,” he stated.
"The Next Phase Was Probably Nuclear"
Referring to the heightened tensions following India's precision strikes under 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7 and Pakistan's retaliatory attempts on May 8, 9, and 10, Trump remarked that the hostilities were intensifying rapidly.“It was tit for tat. It was getting deeper and deeper, so to a point where the next one's going to be, you know what? The N word. You know the N word is, right?” Trump asked during the interview, clarifying that he meant “nuclear.” He added, “That’s a very nasty word in many ways. The N word used in a nuclear sense, that’s the worst thing that can happen. And I think they were very close.”
Trump Links Trade to Peace
Trump said he leveraged trade discussions as a diplomatic tool to ease the crisis. “We’re going to talk about trade. We’re going to do a lot of trade,” he noted, highlighting India’s high tariff barriers.“India… they're one of the highest tariff nations in the world, they make it almost impossible to do business. Do you know that they're willing to cut 100% of their tariffs for the United States?” he claimed. However, there has been no official announcement from India confirming any such tariff concessions.
When asked about a potential trade deal with India, Trump replied, “Yeah, that'll come soon. I'm in no rush. Look, everybody wants to make a deal with us.”
Diplomatic Ceasefire After Days of Cross-Border Strikes
Tensions flared after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. India responded with targeted strikes on terror infrastructure, triggering a series of cross-border military engagements over four days. Both sides agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, reportedly following intense behind-the-scenes negotiations facilitated by Washington.Trump confirmed on May 10 that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks.
Repeated Claims of Mediation Role
This marks the seventh time in a week that Trump has publicly stated his role in mediating peace between India and Pakistan. “I'm using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” he reiterated.While Trump's assertions underline his self-proclaimed diplomatic achievements, they have not yet been publicly corroborated by the Indian or Pakistani governments.