Washington– In a rapid shift of tone on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump backed away from earlier assertions that he had personally “stopped” a war between India and Pakistan, instead crediting leaders from both nations for defusing the situation themselves.
Speaking at the White House following a lunch meeting with visiting Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, Trump praised both Munir and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for preventing further escalation of last month’s conflict.
“I’m so happy there was a deal — two smart people, plus their teams — worked it out,” Trump said. “Two very smart people decided not to continue with a war that could have turned nuclear.”
Without repeating his earlier claims of direct involvement, Trump commended both sides for showing restraint. “These are two nuclear powers — big ones — and they chose not to keep fighting.”
That statement came during a meeting with members of the Juventus Football Club around 3 p.m. in the Oval Office. But just five hours earlier, Trump had taken a very different stance.
At around 10 a.m., while watching a 30-meter flagpole being raised on the White House lawn, Trump repeatedly told reporters, “I got it stopped,” referring to the India-Pakistan conflict. He also complained that he hadn’t received due credit for his role in halting the hostilities.
India, however, has consistently denied any U.S. mediation. According to a readout from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister Modi told Trump in a phone call Tuesday night that Pakistan had initiated the request for a ceasefire after India’s firm response to the conflict.
“Due to India’s firm action, Pakistan was compelled to request a cessation of military operations,” Modi reportedly told Trump. The Indian government also reaffirmed its long-standing position that it will not accept third-party mediation in its disputes with Pakistan.
Following his meeting with Munir, Trump reiterated, “The reason I had him here was to thank him for not going into war — for helping end it.” He credited Munir as being “extremely influential” in de-escalating tensions on Pakistan’s side, and Modi for doing the same on India’s.
In an attempt to balance his remarks, Trump added, “And I want to thank, as you know, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” noting that they had spoken recently. He also highlighted ongoing trade negotiations with India.
Trump said he also discussed Iran with Munir, claiming to “know more about Iran than most.” Notably, Pakistan’s Embassy in Washington serves as Iran’s representative, as the U.S. and Iran do not have formal diplomatic relations. (Switzerland represents U.S. interests in Tehran.)
Trump has previously issued ambiguous ultimatums to Iran, calling on the country to “surrender” without specifying the consequences.
Despite sharp differences between U.S. support for Israel and Pakistan’s alignment with Iran — including Pakistan’s condemnation of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — Trump appeared to play down the tension.
“They’re not happy about anything,” he said, referring to Pakistan. “It’s not that they’re anti-Israel. Maybe they just know Iran better.”
By inviting Munir to Washington, Trump acknowledged the dominant role of the Pakistani military, which wields significant power behind a façade of civilian governance. During Operation Sindoor, the U.S. initially engaged with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif but quickly shifted focus to Munir after recognizing where real authority lies.
Unlike Democratic administrations, Trump has shown little hesitation in dealing directly with military or authoritarian leaders. (Source: IANS)
