Seven no longer enough: Trump upgrades India-Pakistan war story to ‘eight planes shot down’

This time, Trump added a new flourish: he revised his tally of fighter jets downed in combat from seven to eight, telling a cheering crowd that 'without tariffs, that would have never happened.'

At an address at the America Business Forum in Miami, US President Donald Trump resurrected one of his most audacious foreign policy claims, that he personally brokered peace between India and Pakistan, preventing a nuclear war and compelling both to 'agree to peace' by threatening to cancel trade deals.

This time, Trump added a new flourish: he revised his tally of fighter jets downed in combat from seven to eight, telling a cheering crowd that 'without tariffs, that would have never happened.'

“I was in the midst of a trade deal with India and Pakistan, and then I heard they were going to war. Seven planes were shot down, and the eighth was badly wounded... I said, ‘I’m not going to make any trade deals with you guys unless you agree to peace,’” Trump claimed.

India has been denying

New Delhi has categorically rejected Trump’s repeated assertions, calling them 'factually incorrect.' Indian officials maintain that no third-party mediation occurred and that the ceasefire on May 10 followed direct communication between military commanders after Pakistan requested a halt to the hostilities.

Despite India’s repeated clarifications, Trump has cited the alleged episode at least 60 times in various speeches since May, often grouping it with other claims of 'conflicts stopped' under his watch, such as Kosovo-Serbia and Congo-Rwanda.

The real story: Operation Sindoor and a four-day standoff

The confrontation Trump refers to stemmed from Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strikes launched on May 7 against terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and deep inside Pakistani territory. The strikes came after 26 civilians were killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

For four days, India and Pakistan exchanged cross-border fire and missile strikes, leading to heightened tensions across the Line of Control. By May 10, the situation de-escalated following Pakistan’s request for a ceasefire, but without any US involvement, Indian officials insist.