Trump claims India-Pakistan clashes nearly spiralled into nuclear war, says 10 aircraft were shot down, and reiterates that US intervention—including trade pressure—helped prevent a catastrophic escalation
US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that a military confrontation between India and Pakistan could have escalated into a nuclear war, saying intense fighting and the shooting down of aircraft almost pushed the two nuclear-armed neighbours past a dangerous line.
Trump made the remarks in a recent interview with Fox Business, in which he also repeated his long-standing assertion that he played a decisive role in ending the hostilities.
Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for what he describes as his part in brokering a ceasefire, said the situation had become extremely volatile. “It would have been a nuclear war, in my opinion. They were really going at it; 10 planes were shot down. They were going at it,” he said, referring to the clashes.
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#BREAKING🔸 Once again Trump claimed his tariff threats stopped a nuclear war between India & Pakistan.
He said 10 planes down & millions of lives saved.India still denies any US role.
Source: Fox News#India #indiapakistanwar2025 #Trump pic.twitter.com/2PuYGTESbd
— Twilight (@TwilightDewy) February 11, 2026
The comments revisit a period of heightened tensions in May last year, when a four-day conflict broke out following an Islamist militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
India responded with a major military operation code-named
Operation Sindoor, carrying out airstrikes against alleged terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In turn, Pakistan said it shot down several Indian aircraft, claims that were part of an intense wave of combat involving jets, missiles, and artillery before a ceasefire was reached.
Trump also repeated another of his more dramatic assertions by citing praise he claimed to have received from Pakistan’s prime minister. He said the premier told him, “President Trump saved at least 10 million lives when he got us to stop fighting,” adding that tariffs were instrumental in stopping further escalation.
However, officials in both India and Pakistan have consistently denied that any third-party intervention was responsible for the ceasefire. India has maintained that an understanding on cessation of hostilities was reached directly between the two countries’ military leaders, without external mediation.
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