In a striking revelation during a press briefing at the White House, US President Donald Trump claimed that his administration was instrumental in halting what he described as a potentially catastrophic nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. He credited his diplomatic team, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for facilitating a sudden cessation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed nations.
“We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed,” Trump asserted, emphasising the seriousness of the situation. “On Saturday, my administration helped broker an immediate cessation of hostilities — I think a permanent one — between India and Pakistan, the countries having a lot of nuclear weapons.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan had escalated sharply following the Indian Armed Forces’ launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7. The operation targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including a Nepali national.
The military action led to intensified cross-border shelling and aerial violations, pushing both sides to the brink of open warfare. Trump suggested that it was through a combination of backchannel diplomacy and trade incentives that the United States was able to intervene effectively.
“I’m very proud to let you know that the leadership of India and Pakistan was unwavering and powerful… And we helped a lot, and we also helped with trade,” Trump stated. He explained that he had used trade as a tool to encourage both nations to de-escalate. “Come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let’s stop it, let’s stop it. If you stop it, we’re doing trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade.”
According to reports, the cessation of hostilities was initially agreed upon after a call from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai. The Pakistani DGMO proposed an end to the exchanges, which was accepted by the Indian side. The ceasefire was to take effect at 5:00 PM on May 10, halting cross-border firing and airspace intrusions.
However, the truce was short-lived. Indian military officials confirmed that Pakistan violated the agreement within hours through renewed cross-border firing and drone intrusions. Lieutenant General Ghai expressed disappointment over the breach, calling it a “betrayal of the spirit of the ceasefire.”
Despite the brief respite, the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) remains tense. Analysts suggest that while diplomatic interventions like those claimed by Trump may temporarily cool tensions, a sustainable resolution between the two countries requires long-term engagement and trust-building measures.
Trump’s statements have drawn mixed reactions from international observers, with some praising the US’s role in crisis management, while others have called for independent verification of the president’s claims.
As of now, both the Indian and Pakistani governments have not officially commented on Trump’s assertions or the alleged role of the US in brokering the temporary ceasefire. The region, meanwhile, remains under close watch from the global community.
