President Donald Trump turned heads in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, claiming credit for averting a nuclear disaster between India and Pakistan last year. He quoted Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as saying 35 million people would have died if it werent for me during the tense Operation Sindoor conflict. Trump recounted the dramatic White House meeting where Sharif supposedly thanked him profusely, tying it to his broader brag of halting eight wars in his first year back in office. The remarks, delivered with his signature flair, reignited debate over U.S. involvement in the May 2025 flare-up.

The crisis kicked off after a deadly terror attack in Kashmirs Pahalgam, leading India to unleash precision strikes on nine terrorist camps across the border on May 7. Named Operation Sindoor, it targeted outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed without hitting military assets, but Pakistan retaliated with shelling and drone swarms under their own Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos. Fierce clashes along the Line of Control lit up Poonch and Uri for days until a ceasefire held around May 10. Casualties mounted on both sides, but the nuclear-armed neighbors pulled back from the brink.

Pakistans official notes from the Sharif-Trump huddle praised U.S. bold leadership in the truce, fueling Trumps narrative. Yet India has flatly denied any American mediation, insisting on direct hotline talks with Islamabad—a point even echoed by Pakistans Deputy PM Ishaq Dar. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar dismissed the story as off-base, underscoring New Delhis firm no-third-parties policy in such disputes. Trumps retelling, first aired in September 2025, keeps stirring the pot.

With Trump pushing his peacemaker credentials—complete with Nobel whispers—this saga spotlights evolving U.S. ties in South Asia. Pakistan, reeling economically, seems keen on Washingtons orbit, while India flexes self-reliant muscle via Rafale jets and advanced missiles in Sindoor. The quick cool-down dodged catastrophe, but lingering distrust means any spark could flare again. As Trump eyes bigger diplomatic wins, India-Pakistan watchers stay vigilant.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.