US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that his intervention helped avert a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, this time raising the number of fighter jets shot down during the hostilities to seven. Speaking during a meeting with the South Korean President, Trump said he used trade pressure to compel both sides to halt escalation.
“I have stopped all of these wars. A big one would have been India and Pakistan,” Trump said, adding that he warned the two countries to end fighting within 24 hours or face suspension of trade. According to him, the conflict had already resulted in seven downed fighter jets before his warning.
Trump has previously made similar statements. In July, he claimed that five fighter jets were downed before calm was restored, though he provided no details about which aircraft were lost. His new figure coincides with recent confirmation from Indian authorities of multiple Pakistani aircraft destroyed during Operation Sindoor.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, speaking at a memorial lecture earlier this month, revealed that India achieved “at least five confirmed fighter kills” and also downed a large electronic surveillance plane. He described the latter as one of the largest long-range surface-to-air kills on record.
The IAF chief also outlined other significant strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor, including the destruction of command-and-control centres, radar installations, air defence systems, and hangars housing fighter jets. He credited the success of the operation to decisive political backing, saying the armed forces were given freedom to set their rules of engagement and control escalation.
India launched Operation Sindoor in May following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. Strikes were conducted on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Over 100 militants were reported killed, while India also successfully countered Pakistan’s retaliation.