US President Donald Trump appeared to mix up India with Iran while repeating his claim that tariffs had prevented a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. The president has long boasted that his trade policies helped end “five or six” of the “eight wars” he says he halted during his tenure.
Asked whether the United States was heading into a protracted trade war with China, Trump launched into a wide-ranging defence of his tariff policy. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said: “We have a 100 per cent tariff. If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing. We would have no defence. They’ve used tariffs on us, but we’ve never had anybody sitting in that chair who felt the need to do it.”
Trump claimed that tariffs had been responsible for keeping peace globally, but in recounting an episode involving Pakistan, he appeared to confuse it with Iran. “As an example, if you look at Pakistan and Iran,” he said. “I told them I was negotiating a trade deal with Iran, and Pakistan was going to be in line. Because of tariffs, they all wanted to negotiate much differently. Then I heard they were shooting at each other, and I said, ‘Are you guys going to go to war? Two nuclear powers we are thinking about.’”
He added that he warned both sides that he would impose a “200 per cent tariff” and ban them from conducting business with the United States if hostilities continued. “Within 24 hours, the war ended. That would have been a nuclear war,” he claimed.
BREAKING: In an insane moment, Trump calls Iran a nuclear power, and claims to have stopped a war between Pakistan and Iran. "I heard they are shooting at each other. Two nuclear powers," confusing Iran with India.His cognitive ability is GONE.pic.twitter.com/IHChAZrny3
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— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) October 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump reiterated that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally thanked him for preventing a nuclear conflict. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan got up the other day, said so beautifully, he says, ‘You saved millions of lives,’” Trump said. “He told that to a group of people right in this office. He said, the President saved millions of lives.”
Trump claimed Sharif’s remarks referred to a standoff with India. “What he’s referring to is the fact that that would have been with India a nuclear war. That was getting very close. Seven aircraft were shot down,” he added.
At the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Sharif publicly praised Trump for “preventing a nuclear conflict” and nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump invited Sharif to speak at the summit, prompting him to say, “Today is one of the greatest days in contemporary history because peace has been achieved after untiring efforts led by President Trump. Pakistan has nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is the most genuine and the most wonderful candidate for this honour.”
Sharif delivered an emotional tribute, calling Trump a “man of peace” who had “made the world a place to live with peace and prosperity.”
Throughout his White House remarks, Trump defended tariffs as a global stabilisation tool. “Of the eight wars, I would say tariffs are directly responsible for me ending five or six of them. Without the tariffs, you’d have wars raging all over the world,” he said.
Trump’s remark has drawn attention for conflating India with Iran. His claims lack independent verification, with Indian officials stating the May 10 ceasefire was achieved through direct talks between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan after four days of cross-border strikes.
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