US President Donald Trump reiterated his long-standing claim of averting a war between India and Pakistan during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Addressing the visiting dignitary and his delegation, Trump boasted of his diplomatic interventions, stating, "I’ve stopped actually eight wars... Have another one to go with, Putin. I’m a little surprised at Putin. It’s taken longer than I thought, but we stopped in India and Pakistan. Wish I could go through the list. You know the list better than I do."
He further elaborated, "I’m very proud. And I stopped one that was almost ready to start again. You know, there’s one that was ready to start, and they’re doing very well. So, it all took place right here in the Oval Office, whether by telephone or whether they came in. Many of these leaders have come in, and, you know, they signed their peace deals right here in the Oval Office." The remarks, delivered casually amid discussions on broader Middle East peace efforts, underscore Trump's penchant for highlighting his foreign policy achievements, even as the veracity of the India-Pakistan assertion remains contested.
The claim traces back to the escalating tensions in May 2019, following a deadly suicide bombing in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, prompting Indian airstrikes on alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan's Balakot region. Pakistan retaliated with aerial dogfights, leading to the capture and subsequent release of an Indian pilot and a brief but intense standoff that raised fears of full-scale conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Trump first publicly credited himself for de-escalation on May 10, 2019, via social media, announcing that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate ceasefire" after a "long night" of US-mediated talks. Since then, he has repeated variations of the narrative in speeches and interviews, portraying the Oval Office as a hub for such resolutions, though official records show no formal US mediation or ceasefire agreement was acknowledged by New Delhi.
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India has consistently refuted Trump's portrayal, maintaining that the de-escalation was achieved bilaterally through direct military and diplomatic channels between New Delhi and Islamabad, without third-party involvement. Indian officials, including then-Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, emphasised in 2019 that while the US was informed of progress, it played no active brokering role. In contrast, Pakistani leaders have occasionally endorsed the claim, with then-Prime Minister Imran Khan thanking Trump for his "good offices" during the crisis, crediting US pressure for facilitating dialogue. This divergence in narratives highlights the geopolitical sensitivities surrounding the Kashmir dispute, where external attributions can complicate sovereignty claims and bilateral trust-building efforts.
The repetition of the claim in 2025, amid Trump's ongoing presidency, revives scrutiny over his administration's approach to South Asian diplomacy, which blended personal diplomacy with transactional deal-making. While the 2019 episode did end without further escalation—paving the way for resumed trade and communication—analysts note that underlying issues like cross-border terrorism and territorial claims persist, occasionally flaring into skirmishes.
Trump's comments, made in the presence of bin Salman, also tie into his broader narrative of Middle East peacemaking, including the Abraham Accords, potentially aiming to draw parallels for future Saudi-led initiatives. As global attention shifts toward US-Saudi relations, the anecdote serves as a reminder of how past interventions, real or perceived, continue to shape international perceptions of American influence in volatile regions.
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