Trump SOTU 2026: 'Shehbaz Sharif would have died' without US help in India-Pakistan nuclear crisis

During his 2026 State of the Union, Donald Trump claimed he averted a nuclear war and saved Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's life using 200% tariff threats. New Delhi denies third-party mediation in the May 2025 ceasefire.

In a high-stakes State of the Union (SOTU) address on Wednesday, President Donald Trump made surprising claims about his role in the 2025 India-Pakistan military standoff. Addressing Congress, Trump said his personal involvement not only prevented a nuclear disaster but also saved the life of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

'35 million people said he would have died'

During his speech, the U.S. President described the May 2025 confrontation as dire. He stated that without his mediation, the two South Asian nations were on the verge of total annihilation.

"Pakistan and India would have been in a nuclear war," Trump claimed. He followed this with a specific, yet unverified, assertion: "35 million people said the Prime Minister of Pakistan would have died if it were not for my involvement."

Trade leverage and '200% tariffs'

Trump explained the "strong-arm" tactics he allegedly used to bring both nations to the negotiating table. He said trade was his main weapon, claiming he issued an ultimatum to both New Delhi and Islamabad.

“I called them and I said, 'Listen, I'm not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don't settle this up," Trump said, repeating comments made earlier at a 'Board of Peace' event. “I said, if you fight, I'm going to put 200 percent tariffs on each of your countries. "And all of a sudden, we worked out a deal.”

Context: The May 2025 standoff  

The Republican president referred to the military escalation after the Pahalgam terror attack in May 2025, where Pakistan-backed militants targeted civilians. In response, India conducted precision strikes on terror launchpads within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

While Trump has claimed credit for stopping the conflict over 80 times in recent months, he has frequently used different figures about downed fighter jets without specifying which nation's aircraft he was discussing.

New Delhi denies third-party mediation  

Despite the president's repeated claims, India has maintained its diplomatic position. New Delhi has consistently stated that the ceasefire agreement reached on May 10, 2025, resulted from direct, bilateral communication between India and Pakistan.

Indian officials have repeatedly dismissed the idea of third-party involvement, emphasizing that the resolution came through regional dialogue rather than outside pressure.

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