Trump Raises India-Pakistan Claim 8 Planes Shot Down in 2025

Miami, USA – November 6, 2025: President Donald Trump altered his public recounting of the May clashes between India and Pakistan, telling attendees at the America Business Forum that eight fighter aircraft were shot down during the confrontation, revising an earlier claim that seven were lost.

Trump maintained that the ceasefire emerged only after he threatened to withhold trade agreements from both countries. He framed the episode as another example of his international dealmaking, saying, "I told them I would not sign trade deals unless they moved to peace," and used the remark to underscore his image as an intervening power broker.

Indian officials, however, have repeatedly rejected any US role in brokering the truce. New Delhi has said the shooting stopped on May 10 after direct talks between Indian and Pakistani commanders. The confrontation followed Operation Sindoor, during which India struck militant positions in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after 26 civilians were killed in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

Observers and Indian authorities have expressed doubt about Mr. Trump's account, which he has reportedly reiterated more than 60 times since May 2025. Despite skepticism, he continued to describe the outcome as a ceasefire achieved through the leverage of trade negotiations that averted wider escalation.

The May escalation unfolded over four days with cross-border fire and missile exchanges before Pakistan asked for a cessation of hostilities. The clashes did not evolve into an all-out war between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

As his assertions keep circulating, the episode underscores the difficulty of distinguishing political rhetoric from independently verified facts in discussions of international conflict and diplomacy.