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Trump Alleges Seven Jets Downed in Pakistan-India Clash, Credits Trade Pressure for Peace
Trump reignites controversy, claiming seven aircraft were shot down during the May Pakistan–India conflict — and credits his trade policies for ending the escalation within 24 hours.
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by Muhammad Hashir
2025-10-28
Trump Alleges Seven Jets Downed in Pakistan-India Clash, Credits Trade Pressure for Peace

United States President Donald Trump has once again made headlines with a controversial statement, claiming that seven aircraft were shot down during the brief but intense military confrontation between Pakistan and India in May.

Speaking at a dinner with business leaders during his visit to Japan, Trump said his global tariff policies had prevented multiple wars, including the South Asian escalation earlier this year.

“If you look at India and Pakistan, they were going at it,” Trump said. “Seven brand-new, beautiful planes were shot down. I said to Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, both very nice men, and to Field Marshal Asim Munir in Pakistan — ‘we’re not doing any trade if you’re going to be fighting.’ Within 24 hours, that was the end of that. It was amazing, actually.”

Trump went on to claim that “trade is responsible for 70 percent of the fact that we didn’t have wars,” implying that his tariffs acted as a deterrent against further escalation.

The May conflict — one of the most serious flare-ups between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades — began after an attack on Hindu pilgrims in occupied Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the assault, an allegation Islamabad categorically denied, calling New Delhi’s account “replete with fabrications.”

Over four days of heavy fighting, both nations deployed fighter jets, missiles, artillery, and drones. Pakistan claimed it had downed six Indian jets, including the French-made Rafale, while India admitted to “some losses” but denied the destruction of six aircraft.

Analysts note that Trump’s statement revives controversy over the true scale of the conflict and his claimed role in defusing it. While the U.S. did urge restraint at the time, no official record supports Trump’s assertion of direct mediation or the exact number of aircraft lost.

Despite the ceasefire that followed, tensions remain high between Islamabad and New Delhi, with both sides accusing each other of cross-border violations and political interference in Kashmir.

Trump’s remarks — blending trade policy with wartime diplomacy — have once again stirred debate about his unconventional approach to foreign relations and his tendency to frame global conflicts in the context of his economic agenda.
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Donald trump

ForeignPolicy

IndiaPakistan

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