Washington: In a move that is being seen by many as yet another attempt by him to bag the Nobel Peace Prize, US president Donald Trump reiterated that it was he who brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
This is a claim vehemently denied by India. It has maintained that the cessation of military operations came about due to an appeal by Pakistan.
Trump made his latest claim while briefing the media at the White House late on Tuesday. In the briefing, the US president made a special mention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I am talking to a very terrific man, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. I said what’s going on with you and Pakistan. The hatred was tremendous. This has been going on for a hell of a long time, like, sometimes with different names for hundreds of years. I said, I don’t want to make a trade deal with you. You guys are going to end up in a nuclear war,” Trump said.
“I said, call me back tomorrow, but we’re not going to do any deals with you, or we’re going to put tariffs on you that are so high, your head’s going to spin…Within about five hours, it was done…Now maybe it starts again. I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I’ll stop it if it does. We can’t let these things happen,” he added.
While Modi has made it clear in Parliament that there was no interference by any third party, external affairs minister S Jaishankar stated there was no foreign leader who asked India to stop its operation during Operation Sindoor.
The US has already imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports – some exceeding 50% – escalating diplomatic friction and casting additional doubt on his claims of peacemaking.
An additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, as previously announced by Trump kicks in from today (August 27). Indian exports were already subject to a 25% tariff, and with the new measure, the total levy could exceed 50%.
The Department of Homeland Security issued the notice through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), setting August 27 as the official deadline for enforcement. The action, taken under Executive Order 14329, is ostensibly linked to concerns over national security and broader geopolitical threats — though India was notably singled out in the tariff schedule modification.
“The duties set out in the Annex to this document are effective with respect to products of India that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 27, 2025,” it added.
