Washington [US]: Former US President Donald Trump appeared to confuse India with Iran while reiterating his claim that his use of tariffs helped prevent a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. Trump, who has frequently touted tariffs as tools of global peace, claimed his trade policies “ended five or six out of eight wars” during his tenure.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was responding to a question on whether the US was heading into a prolonged trade war with China. Defending his approach, he said, “We have a 100 per cent tariff. If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be exposed as being a nothing. We would have no defence. They’ve used tariffs on us, but we’ve never had anybody sitting in that chair who felt the need to do it.”
Trump’s mix-up between India and Iran
In his remarks, Trump recounted an incident involving Pakistan, but mistakenly referred to Iran while discussing the episode. “As an example, if you look at Pakistan and Iran,” Trump said. “I told them I was negotiating a trade deal with Iran, and Pakistan was going to be in line.”
He continued, “Then I heard they were shooting at each other, and I said, ‘Are you guys going to go to war? Two nuclear powers we are thinking about.’”
Observers quickly noted that Trump appeared to confuse India with Iran, as there have been no reports of hostilities between Pakistan and Iran resembling the 2019 standoff between India and Pakistan.
Trump’s ‘tariff diplomacy’ claim
Trump claimed he had threatened both sides with heavy tariffs if they went to war. “I warned them that if they went to war, I would impose a 200 per cent tariff and ban them from doing business with the United States. Within 24 hours, the war ended. That would have been a nuclear war,” he asserted, without offering evidence.
This is not the first time Trump has credited tariffs for diffusing global tensions. He has previously claimed that trade restrictions and economic pressure served as deterrents to international conflicts, a statement many foreign policy experts have dismissed as exaggerated.
Shehbaz Sharif’s alleged praise for Trump
Trump also repeated that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked him for “saving millions of lives” by preventing a war with India. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan got up the other day, said so beautifully, he says, ‘You saved millions of lives,’” Trump said. “He told that to a group of people right in this office.”
According to Trump, Sharif’s remarks referred to the same episode involving India and Pakistan, which he said was on the brink of a nuclear war. “That was getting very close. Seven aircraft were shot down,” Trump added, referencing an incident that did not align with verified accounts from the 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmish.
Sharif’s speech at the Gaza Peace Summit
At the Gaza Peace Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Trump claimed that Shehbaz Sharif publicly praised his peace efforts and even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Introducing Sharif before world leaders, Trump reportedly said, “Do you want to say something? Say what you said to me the other day.”
Sharif’s speech, according to Trump’s account, was a glowing tribute. “Today is one of the greatest days in contemporary history because peace has been achieved after untiring efforts led by President Trump,” Sharif reportedly said. “Pakistan has nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is the most genuine and the most wonderful candidate for this honour.”
Sharif went on to describe Trump as a “man of peace” who made “the world a place to live with peace and prosperity.”
Tariffs as tools of peace
Concluding his remarks, Trump defended his broader tariff strategy, linking it directly to global peace efforts. “Of the eight wars, I would say tariffs are directly responsible for me ending five or six of them. Without the tariffs, you’d have wars raging all over the world,” he said.
Analysts, however, have questioned the factual accuracy of Trump’s claims, pointing out that tariffs were primarily trade policy tools, not instruments of diplomacy or conflict resolution. Trump’s latest comments add to his history of geopolitical gaffes, including previous instances where he confused world leaders or countries during public statements.