In a fresh assertion, US President Donald Trump claimed that five fighter jets were shot down during the May conflict between India and Pakistan, and reiterated his controversial claim that it was his intervention that brought the hostilities to an end.
Speaking at a dinner event with Republican senators at the White House, Trump said: “You had India and Pakistan – it was getting worse. Planes were being shot out of the air… I think five jets were shot down. It was getting very serious. These are two nuclear powers hitting each other.”
He added, “We got it solved through trade. We told them, ‘If you want a trade deal with the US, stop the fighting.’ Both countries are powerful nuclear states. That was going to escalate.”
However, Trump did not clarify whether the jets belonged to India, Pakistan, or were combined losses from both sides. His statement follows several earlier remarks since May 10 where he claimed credit for easing tensions between the two countries.
India Rejects Mediation Claim
New Delhi has consistently denied Trump’s claims of US mediation, stating instead that the conflict de-escalated due to direct military-level discussions between India and Pakistan. India maintains that no foreign party played a mediatory role.
Operation Sindoor and Escalation
The conflict in question followed the deadly terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist camps across the Line of Control in Pakistan-administered territory.
The airstrikes triggered four days of heavy cross-border exchanges between the two militaries, which ended on May 10 after both sides reportedly reached an understanding to cease further military action.
