Trump Revises Claim: From 5 Aircraft to Now 6–7 Aircraft Downed in Indio-Pak Conflict

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy by revising his account of the India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025, now claiming that six to seven jets were shot down during the clashes — an increase from his earlier statement of five.

Speaking at a White House event on August 14, Trump also repeated his long-standing assertion that he personally averted a potential nuclear war between the two South Asian rivals by intervening through trade negotiations and diplomatic outreach. He argued that his actions should place him among the frontrunners for a Nobel Peace Prize.

However, India has firmly rejected the notion that Washington played any mediation role. Officials in New Delhi reiterated that the ceasefire following Operation Sindoor was achieved through direct military-to-military talks between the countries’ Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO), without any external involvement.

The latest round of claims has left strategic analysts skeptical. Trump has offered no evidence to back his version of events, and India’s defense establishment has not verified his figures on aircraft losses. Pakistan, meanwhile, had claimed it shot down six Indian jets during the skirmishes, but India dismissed the figure, acknowledging only “some” losses without providing specifics.

The May 2025 clashes — the most intense exchange of fire along the Line of Control in years — began after a series of cross-border strikes and artillery exchanges escalated rapidly. Operation Sindoor, launched by India, aimed at neutralizing militant camps and Pakistani military positions believed to be aiding infiltration into Jammu & Kashmir. The confrontation raised regional and global alarm, given both nations’ nuclear capabilities.

Trump’s narrative appears to be aimed at building his profile as a global dealmaker and crisis manager ahead of a possible return to the political arena. His emphasis on the nuclear angle, despite lack of corroboration, has been interpreted as part of a broader campaign to position himself as a peacemaker in volatile regions.

Regional security experts caution that exaggerating battlefield outcomes or behind-the-scenes diplomacy could distort the historical record and complicate future crisis management between India and Pakistan.