WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed he prevented a potential nuclear confrontation between Pakistan and India by threatening a massive 350 percent tariff.
Speaking at a Saudi investment conference, Trump said leaders in Islamabad and New Delhi called to thank him for averting the crisis.
He recounted that Pakistan and India were on the brink of armed conflict involving nuclear weapons. Trump said he warned both countries that Washington would impose the tariff if hostilities continued.
“I refused to have you guys shooting nuclear weapons at each other, killing millions of people, and having the nuclear dust floating over Los Angeles,” Trump said.
He said the US alerted both capitals to the escalating tensions and that both nations initially resisted his warning. Trump claimed he stood firm, and that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called to thank him for preventing a disaster. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also phoned, he said, to confirm the situation had cooled.
Trump framed the tariff threat as a tough economic measure designed to push both governments away from conflict.
His remarks highlighted his rarely discussed dealings with Pakistan. Trump said he relied on economic pressure and tariff threats to defuse international crises, portraying himself as a dealmaker using leverage rather than military intervention.
He later spoke about other foreign disputes, including Sudan, noting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman encouraged him to help resolve the issue.
While some met his claims with skepticism, the speech reinforced Trump’s narrative of settling global tensions through economic leverage and personal outreach.
