US President Donald Trump, in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night (local time), once again claimed that he had ended eight wars, including the India-Pakistan conflict that followed last year’s Pahalgam terror attack.
During his speech, Trump also made a striking assertion, stating that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had told him that nearly 35 million people could have died if he had not intervened in the situation.
“In my first 10 months, I ended eight wars… Cambodia and Thailand… Pakistan and India would have had a nuclear war. Thirty-five million people, the Prime Minister of Pakistan said, would have died if it were not for my involvement,” Trump claimed.
However, India has denied any role played by the United States in reaching an understanding to cease hostilities with Pakistan. New Delhi has maintained that the request to halt military operations came from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations.
India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The operation was described as a targeted and punitive campaign aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan.
In response, Pakistan reportedly carried out a series of retaliatory drone and unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) attacks targeting key Indian airbases and logistics installations. These attempts were effectively neutralised by India’s multi-layered air defence system.
The operation involved coordinated action across land, air, and sea, demonstrating close synergy between the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy. The Indian Air Force played a key role by carrying out precision strikes on terror-related targets, including Nur Khan Air Base and Rahimyar Khan Air Base.
Meanwhile, in the same address, Trump said his administration was “working hard” to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, describing it as “a war which would have never happened if I were President.”
On Iran, Trump said he preferred a diplomatic solution but reiterated that he would not allow the country to acquire nuclear weapons.
“They have already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they are working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States… My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain — I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. (Agency)
