Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jul 9: US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that he intervened to end the conflict between India and Pakistan, while also asserting that 11 fighter jets were shot down during the four-day military confrontation that India codenamed Operation Sindoor.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump reiterated that he had helped resolve eight international conflicts, including the India-Pakistan standoff, and claimed that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize "more than anybody."
Referring to the military confrontation, Trump alleged that the conflict "was going to be nuclear" and said that "11 planes were shot down" during the hostilities. However, he did not provide any details or clarify whether the aircraft belonged to India, Pakistan or represented the combined losses of both countries.
India has consistently rejected Trump's repeated assertions of third-party mediation in ending the conflict, maintaining that there was no external intervention.
According to the Indian government, at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, were destroyed or damaged during Indian strikes carried out under Operation Sindoor.
Trump further claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had credited him with preventing a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe by helping end the conflict.
"He said, 'You saved about 30 to 50 million lives.' Guess what, it could have been a lot more than that," Trump said.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.
The operation led to four days of intense military exchanges between the two countries before both sides reached an understanding to halt military actions on May 10.
Since then, Trump has repeatedly maintained that the ceasefire was achieved following his intervention. However, New Delhi has consistently stated that the cessation of military operations resulted from direct communication between the armed forces of India and Pakistan, without any mediation by the United States.