On his flight to the Middle East, former U.S. President Donald Trump revived a bold narrative: that he prevented a war between India and Pakistan by applying economic pressure. He claimed that within 24 hours of threatening steep tariffs — “100, 150, 200 percent” — both nations backed down. Trump framed the move as part of his broader peace agenda, calling the Israel-Hamas ceasefire his “eighth war solved.”

Delhi, however, has consistently rejected this version. India maintains that the ceasefire after Operation Sindoor resulted from direct military-to-military engagements — not external mediation or tariff coercion. Earlier in 2025, India also dismissed U.S. court filings that claimed to document U.S.–India tariff negotiations during the crisis.

Trump’s narrative serves multiple purposes: reinforcing his global peacemaker image, making tariffs part of his diplomatic toolkit, and casting his interventions as decisive. Whether the claims correspond with the on-ground realities is another matter — but the story underscores how public diplomacy, economics, and narrative management intertwine in contemporary international affairs.