India, however, has consistently rejected claims of third-party mediation, maintaining that the understanding to end hostilities was reached bilaterally.
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that his intervention helped avert a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, asserting that Pakistan’s leadership credited him with saving millions of lives.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Monday, Trump said Washington played a key role in preventing the escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, reported PTI.
“We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a highly respected General, he’s a Field Marshal and also the Prime Minister of Pakistan, said President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more.,” Trump said Monday.
Trump made the remarks in the presence of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Referring to the military escalation earlier this year, Trump said, “You know, eight planes were shot down. That war was starting to rage, and he actually said the other day that President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more. So we solved all these wars. The only one I haven’t solved yet is Russia, Ukraine,” he said.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between the two neighbours.
India, however, has consistently rejected claims of third-party mediation, maintaining that the understanding to end hostilities was reached bilaterally.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
