Tokyo: US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that during a brief military escalation between Pakistan and India in May, seven aircraft were reportedly downed. Trump made this remark while addressing business leaders in Japan, attributing the prevention of further conflicts to tariffs imposed on involved countries.

According to Anadolu Agency, Trump emphasized that he had rendered ‘a great service to the world’ by averting many potential conflicts. He highlighted the situation between India and Pakistan as a prime example, stating, “If you look at India and Pakistan, they were going at it. Seven brand new, beautiful planes were shot down.”

Trump recounted conversations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir. He asserted that he warned them against continued hostilities by threatening to halt trade, saying, “We’re not going to do any trade if you’re going to be fighting.”

He further elaborated on the effectiveness of his trade-based strategy, stating, “We said, No, we’re not doing any deals if you’re going to be fighting, and within 24 hours that was the end of that. It was amazing, actually.” Trump concluded by suggesting that trade considerations are responsible for 70% of the prevention of wars, emphasizing the role of strategic thinking.

The skirmish between the two nuclear-armed nations lasted four days and concluded with a ceasefire announced by Trump on May 10.