Trump Credits Modi, Munir for Averting India-Pakistan War, Steps Back from Claiming Sole Credit.
US President Donald Trump has for the first time in weeks refrained from claiming sole credit for stopping hostilities between India and Pakistan, instead acknowledging the roles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office after hosting General Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he was “honoured” to meet him and praised the leadership of both India and Pakistan in de-escalating tensions.
“They are very smart people. They decided not to go ahead with the war. It could have been nuclear. These are two big nuclear powers,” Trump said.
The American president also said he had invited Munir to thank him for helping end the conflict, adding, “I want to thank Prime Minister Modi too. We’re working on trade deals with both India and Pakistan.”
Trump’s tone marked a shift from previous statements in which he repeatedly claimed to have “stopped” the war. Since the ceasefire on May 10, he has asserted that US mediation and the prospect of enhanced trade helped bring the two sides back from the brink.
Trump also commented on Iran, saying General Munir “knows Iran very well,” and that “he agreed with me” on the ongoing situation in the region.
India Clarifies: No US Role in Ceasefire
However, Indian officials have firmly pushed back against suggestions of third-party involvement.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, speaking from Kananaskis, Canada, where Modi was attending the G7 Summit, clarified that there was no discussion at any level on US mediation or trade deals during India’s military operation.
“The decision to end military action was taken through direct communication between the two militaries, at Pakistan’s request,” Misri said, referring to the four-day operation launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26.
India’s retaliatory strikes, part of Operation Sindoor, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Modi also reportedly told Trump during a 35-minute phone call in Kananaskis that India does not accept third-party mediation and that there is full political consensus on this stance.
Trump Still Claims Role in De-escalation
Despite these clarifications, Trump again repeated his earlier claim in remarks to reporters: “I stopped the war. I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man… We’re going to make a trade deal with him.”
He went on to say, “This man [Munir] was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side. Modi from the Indian side… they were going at it. I got it stopped.”
Trump also expressed disappointment at the lack of media recognition for his claimed role: “I don’t think I had one story written. I stopped a war between two nuclear nations.”
No Visit to Washington by Modi
Trump had reportedly invited Modi to stop over in Washington on his way back from Canada, but the Prime Minister, citing prior commitments, proceeded to the final leg of his three-nation tour — Croatia.
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