WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has credited his aggressive tariff policies with playing a key role in resolving several global conflicts, including the military tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year. He has also hinted at plans to intervene in ongoing Pak-Afghan issue.
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Speaking to the press aboard Air Force One, Trump boasted of his ability to mediate international disputes, saying he had “ended” eight global conflicts, with the current Gaza ceasefire poised to be his eighth. He also hinted at turning his attention to the ongoing border tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan after his work in Gaza.
The president, en route to the Middle East ahead of a planned peace summit, spoke of his success in de-escalating the India-Pakistan standoff, claiming that his tariff threats forced both countries to back down. He said, “I solved the India-Pakistan conflict with tariffs. I told them, ‘If you’re going to fight a war with nuclear weapons, I’ll impose huge tariffs, 100 per cent, 150 per cent, 200 per cent on both sides.’ It was settled within 24 hours. Without those tariffs, that war wouldn’t have ended.”
India, however, continues to deny the US president’s claim of intervention. The Indian government maintains that the ceasefire reached in May 2025 resulted from direct talks between military leaders of India and Pakistan, with no third-party mediation.
Trump also said that the Gaza ceasefire, which is nearing finalisation between Israel and Hamas, would mark his eighth conflict resolution. “I’ve solved a lot of wars. This will be the eighth. And I hear there’s a situation between Afghanistan and Pakistan that will have to wait until I get back,” he said. “I’m good at solving wars.”
In addition to his conflict-solving record, Trump expressed frustration over being overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize despite his self-declared achievements. He asserted that he had brokered peace in conflicts that had lasted decades, claiming, “I ended wars that had been going on for 31, 32, and even 37 years. Millions of people were dying, and I solved them in a day. It’s a great honor.”
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When asked about his exclusion from the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, Trump acknowledged that the committee had already selected its recipient for that year. “But some people say, ‘You could make an exception,’” he remarked. “I didn’t do this for the Nobel. I did it to save lives.”