NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dismissed claims that any world leader, including U.S. President Donald Trump, played a role in halting military action between India and Pakistan during their May conflict. Speaking in parliament during a debate on “Operation Sindoor”, Modi stated, “No world leader asked us to stop the operation,” asserting that it was Pakistan that pleaded for a ceasefire after facing the brunt of Indian strikes.
His remarks follow repeated claims by Trump that he personally brokered peace between the nuclear-armed neighbors. During a visit to Scotland, Trump once again said, “If I weren’t around, you’d have, right now, six major wars going on. India would be fighting with Pakistan.”
Modi, without naming Trump, firmly rejected the idea of third-party mediation — a stance India has consistently maintained. The four-day conflict in May, triggered by a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26, pushed both nations to the brink of war. Over 70 people were reported killed on both sides before Trump publicly announced a ceasefire.
India accused Pakistan of backing the gunmen involved in the Kashmir attack, a claim Islamabad denied. Following the incident, Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting what they described as terrorist infrastructure across the border.
Earlier in the day, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah told lawmakers that three Pakistani nationals affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist group, were killed in an operation linked to the April attack.
The issue of third-party involvement sparked heated debate in Indian politics, with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi challenging Modi to declare in parliament that “Donald Trump is lying.”
Kashmir, a long-standing flashpoint between India and Pakistan, has been a source of multiple wars and conflicts since the partition of British India in 1947. Both countries claim the region in full but govern parts of it separately.
Despite U.S. claims of intervention, New Delhi has reiterated its position that all decisions regarding conflict with Pakistan are made independently and based on national security assessments.
