Trump Claims U.S. Tariffs Stopped India-Pakistan Conflict in 24 Hours

U.S. President, Donald Trump has once again asserted that his administration played a decisive role in preventing a war between India and Pakistan, claiming that steep trade tariffs forced the two nuclear-armed nations to reach a ceasefire within 24 hours.

Speaking recently, Trump said, “If you guys want to fight a war and you have nuclear weapons, I’m going to put big tariffs on you both, like 100%, 150%, and 200%. No, no, no, don’t do that. I said I’m putting tariffs. I had that thing settled in 24 hours. If I didn’t have tariffs, you could have never settled that war.”

The president framed the move as a demonstration of U.S. economic leverage, suggesting that the threat of tariffs alone was sufficient to bring both sides to the negotiating table.

He presented the claim as part of his broader foreign policy record, emphasizing his approach of using economic tools to manage international conflicts.

The India-Pakistan ceasefire in question, which took effect in May 2025, followed escalating tensions after a terror attack in South Kashmir that killed 26 people and India’s retaliatory military operation, Operation Sindoor.

While Trump has repeatedly highlighted the role of tariffs, officials in India have publicly stated that the ceasefire was achieved through direct bilateral negotiations between the two countries, without U.S. intervention.

Experts have described Trump’s narrative as symbolic, noting that while economic pressure can influence diplomacy, it is unlikely that a conflict between two nuclear powers could be resolved solely through the threat of tariffs. Nonetheless, Trump’s statements underscore his focus on using economic measures as instruments of foreign policy.