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Donald Trump cited Operation Sindoor at a Florida election rally, claiming his tariff threat halted India-Pakistan hostilities. India disputes his account, maintaining that New Delhi and Islamabad reached the pause directly.
Washington,Oct 24, 2026 12:40 IST
India's Operation Sindoor has featured in campaigning for the US midterm elections, with President Donald Trump again claiming that he stopped India and Pakistan from going to war by threatening both countries with steep tariffs, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed several lives. India has repeatedly rejected Trump's claim that he brokered a ceasefire, saying the understanding to stop military action was reached directly between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Addressing an election rally in Florida on Friday, Trump took credit for stopping the two nuclear-armed neighbours from escalating military action last year. He said both countries were angry but stopped firing after his tariff threat, PTI reported.
"You stop India and Pakistan, two nuclear nations... I said, 'Fellas, if you guys are going to do that, you're not going to trade with the United States...I'm going to put massive tariffs on both of you, 250 per cent, so you won't be able to do any business'," Trump said.
He said India and Pakistan were "very upset" and "very angry", but stopped firing and the war ended.
"Eleven planes were shot. I stopped all these wars, and it's really an honour to do so..." Trump said, adding that he did not receive any help from the United Nations.
"I'd never made one phone call to the United Nations. But we got them all stopped, and a couple more left. I had no idea when I was running, I had no idea that they had so many wars," he said.
Trump also expressed disappointment over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his claimed diplomatic interventions. "I've settled eight wars. Did I get the Nobel Prize? No," he said.
According to India's account of the developments, military action was paused on May 10 following a request from Pakistan after Indian strikes targeted key terror launchpads. India maintains that the decision to stop military action was reached directly by the two countries and not through Trump's intervention.
With PTI Inputs
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