US President Donald Trump has now claimed that as many as 10 military aircraft were shot down during the armed clash between Pakistan and India last May, more than twice his earlier figures, according to Geo TV and other reports.
Speaking in an interview on Fox Business, Trump doubled down on his long-repeated narrative that he helped end the conflict by threatening heavy trade tariffs on both countries. He said that without the threat of tariffs, the fighting could have escalated into a nuclear confrontation.
Trump also suggested that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally thanked him for helping secure the ceasefire and claimed his actions saved millions of lives. Geo TV’s report noted that Islamabad even nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, contrasting with India’s rejection of US mediation.
The May 2025 clash, which erupted after a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, escalated into one of the most intense military standoffs between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in years. Pakistan says it downed several Indian fighter jets and drones during the hostilities before a US-brokered ceasefire ended the fighting after about 87 hours.
India has repeatedly denied that third-party mediation played a role in ending the conflict and has disputed claims about the extent of aircraft losses. Independent assessments of aircraft shot down or destroyed during the clash vary and remain contentious.