5 jets shot down in Op Sindoor, we got India-Pakistan conflict solved through trade, claims Trump

The Print

19-07-2025

'You saw it recently when you looked at what we did in Iran, where we knocked out their nuclear capability, totally knocked out that… But India and Pakistan were going at it, and they were back and forth, and it was getting bigger and bigger, and we got it solved through trade. We said, you guys want to make a trade deal. We're not making a trade deal if you're going to be throwing around weapons, and maybe nuclear weapons, both very powerful nuclear states,' he added.
'We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious, India and Pakistan, that was going on. Planes were being shot out of there. I think five jets were shot down, actually. These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other. You know, it seems like a new form of warfare,' Trump said in an address at the White House, according to media reports.
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump Friday asserted that 'five jets were shot down' during the 87-hour India-Pakistan conflict this May, and once again mentioned mediating the halt in hostilities. The claims have been denied by India.
Pakistan has claimed that it downed six jets during the conflict, including three Rafales, but the claim has been rejected by India at multiple levels.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan in May admitted to fighter aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor, but denied that six aircraft were downed.
The US president also reiterated 'Washington's role' in ending the conflict, despite numerous denials by India.
New Delhi has maintained that the cessation in hostilities was achieved bilaterally. The understanding was achieved at a discussion between India and Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations is New Delhi's stated position.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month told Trump during a phone call that trade was never discussed between India and US at the height of the conflict, while reiterating that the current peace was brokered by no third country.
'Prime Minister Modi made it clear to President Trump that during this entire episode (Operation Sindoor and aftermath), at no time, at any level, were issues such as India-US trade deal or mediation by the US between India and Pakistan discussed,' Vikram Misri, foreign secretary, said in a statement.
Modi had spoken to US Vice President J.D. Vance on the night of 9 May. During the conversation between India and the US Vice President, there were no discussions of the upcoming trade deal being negotiated between the two sides, maintained Misri.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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