WASHINGTON DC - US President Donald Trump has once again taken a swipe at India over its military confrontation with Pakistan, reiterating his claim that he personally intervened to stop the conflict - and this time, the number of Indian jets supposedly shot down has grown to eleven.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC's Joe Kernen, Trump boasted about using tariffs as a geopolitical weapon, claiming he threatened both nuclear-armed neighbors with a staggering 200 percent tariff if they continued fighting.
Trump Again Trolls India Over Losing Jets to Pakistan 🇮🇳🇵🇰
- Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) July 3, 2026
US President Donald Trump recalled how he stopped the India-Pakistan war at India’s request.
He also praised Pakistan’s leadership for its role. pic.twitter.com/mkO8hHewMV
"I stopped eight wars because of tariffs - India, Pakistan. I mean, I did so many - I stopped eight wars. Everybody acknowledges it," Trump declared, adding that "11 planes were shot down. They were going to war, and they are nuclear nations - strong nuclear nations".
The Numbers Keep Changing
Trump's latest claim marks yet another escalation in his ever-shifting narrative. Over the past year, the US President's account of the conflict has evolved dramatically:
| Date | Claimed Jet Losses |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | "5 jets were shot down" |
| Later in 2025 | "7 planes were shot down" |
| State of the Union | "8 planes were shot down" |
| Recent CNBC Interview | "11 planes were shot down" |
The inconsistency has drawn sharp criticism, with analysts describing Trump's narrative as "surreal" and "shapeshifting" - each retelling sacrificing facts for dramatic effect.
'30 Million Lives Saved'
Trump also claimed that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally thanked him for preventing a humanitarian catastrophe.
"And the Prime Minister of Pakistan said President Trump saved at least 30 million lives by stopping this war," Trump asserted.
In his State of the Union address, Trump had previously claimed that Sharif told him "around 35 million people would have died" if not for US intervention.
Praise for Pakistan's Leadership
Beyond his ceasefire claims, Trump has repeatedly praised Pakistan's civil-military leadership, describing Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as "great leaders" who "just get along great".
"In Pakistan, you have the Field Marshal, who is great. And you have the prime minister, and they just get along great. The military guy totally respects the prime minister. It's a beautiful thing to see," Trump said in an interview with Axios.
He also credited Pakistan with providing "significant assistance" in diplomatic efforts involving Iran, noting that Pakistani leaders have a "strong understanding of Iran's leadership and its people".
India's Firm Rejection
Despite Trump's persistent claims, New Delhi has consistently and categorically rejected any suggestion of US mediation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has firmly told Trump that "India never accepted third-party mediation and will never accept it to resolve issues with Pakistan".
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified that during Modi's conversation with Trump, "there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan".
India maintains that the ceasefire was achieved strictly through bilateral channels between the respective Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), with no room for third-party involvement.
US War Secretary Supports Trump's Narrative
Adding weight to Trump's claims, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also credited the President with helping broker peace between India and Pakistan during his address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
"You saw that in the ability of the president to come together on brokering a peace between India and Pakistan, two nuclear capable countries," Hegseth stated.
The Escalation Context
The conflict Trump repeatedly references was triggered by the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a tri-service strike targeting terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
What Comes Next
Trump continues to use the India-Pakistan confrontation as a centerpiece of his foreign policy narrative, framing tariff threats as a unique tool for preventing nuclear war. However, with India firmly rejecting his claims and no independent verification of the alleged aircraft losses, the debate over what actually happened - and who deserves credit for the ceasefire - shows no signs of resolution.
As one analyst put it: "The more dramatic the claim, the more fluid the facts behind it become for Trump".
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