Trump Claims He Ended India-Pakistan Conflict and Backed It with Threats of 200% Tariffs

WASHINGTON / NEW DELHI — Former U.S. President Donald Trump has again staked a dramatic claim, that he intervened to settle the India-Pakistan standoff, threatening 200 percent tariffs on both nations to force a truce.

Speaking to reporters before departing for the Middle East, Trump said, “Tariffs have given us diplomatic and negotiating strength. I settled a few wars just based on tariffs. For example, between India and Pakistan.”

He went on:“If you guys want to fight a war … I am going to put big tariffs on you both, like 100 per cent, 150 per cent, and 200 per cent … I had that thing settled in 24 hours.”

It’s a bold assertion. And in India, it has met with swift and emphatic pushback.

Setting the Stage: What Trump Claimed

According to Trump, the threat of high tariffs was his primary leverage — that is, he portrayed them as diplomatic muscle in lieu of traditional mediation. He claimed that without the tariff threat, “you could have never settled that war.”

He also linked this episode to his broader self-depiction as a “war solver,” noting he might next address the Pakistan–Afghanistan conflict upon his return.

These remarks follow earlier statements from Trump asserting that he brokered a truce between India and Pakistan, claims that New Delhi has consistently refused to accept.

India’s Response: A Firm Rejection

Indian officials have rejected Trump’s version of events. New Delhi maintains that any ceasefire or de-escalation has been the product of direct dialogue between the two militaries, not foreign intervention.
Hindustan Times

Sources in New Delhi suggest that this “tariff mediation” narrative is more political rhetoric than historical record. Neither India nor Pakistan has acknowledged ever receiving a demand from the U.S. for tariff threats tied to military behavior.