Washington, 01 August (H.S.): US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that his administration prevented a wider military conflict between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor by threatening both countries with steep trade tariffs. India, however, has reiterated that the cessation of hostilities was achieved solely through direct military communication between the two nations, rejecting any suggestion of third-party mediation.

Speaking to reporters at Camp David after a televised Cabinet meeting on Friday, Trump said India and Pakistan were on the brink of a full-scale conflict when the United States intervened with the prospect of imposing 250 per cent tariffs on both countries.

We ended the India-Pakistan war. Eleven planes were shot down. It was escalating rapidly. I used tariffs. I told both countries that if they went to war, they would face 250 per cent tariffs, Trump said. He further claimed that both sides initially reacted angrily but later informed the United States that they would not proceed with military action.

The US President also alleged that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked him for helping avert a conflict that could have endangered millions of lives in the region.

India has consistently rejected these assertions, maintaining that there was no foreign mediation in ending the military confrontation. The Government of India has repeatedly stated that the understanding to halt military operations was reached only after Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart through the established military communication channel and requested a cessation of hostilities.

India has also dismissed Trump's repeated claim that 11 aircraft were shot down during the conflict, stating that such assertions are inaccurate and not supported by official records.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, 2025, as a precision military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation was initiated in response to the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which several civilians lost their lives.

According to the Indian government, the operation focused on dismantling terrorist camps, launchpads and logistical infrastructure linked to cross-border terrorism. Following the successful completion of the targeted strikes, military operations were paused on May 10 after Pakistan formally approached India through DGMO-level communication seeking an end to the escalation.

India has maintained that all decisions concerning Operation Sindoor, including the suspension of military action, were taken independently in accordance with its national security interests and through bilateral military mechanisms, without the involvement of any external mediator.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar