US President Donald Trump met with Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Syed Asim Munir in the White House’s Cabinet Room on Wednesday.

 

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, President Trump was asked whether the discussions included the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

 

In response, he said: “They [Pakistan] know Iran very well, better than most, and they’re not happy about anything. It’s not that they’re bad with Israel. They know them both, actually, but they know Iran better. He [Field Marshal Munir] agreed with me.”

 

President Trump also thanked Field Marshal Asim Munir for not going to war with India, and expressed similar gratitude to Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, whom he said had met with him “a few days ago.”

 

“These two very smart people decided not to keep going with a war that could have been a nuclear war. Pakistan and India are two big nuclear powers,” he added.

 

President Trump also reveal that the US is working on a trade deal with Islamabad and New Delhi.

 

Field Marshal Asim Munir has become the first serving Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to hold a one-on-one meeting with a sitting US president. It also marks the first time a serving Pakistani army chief, without holding political office or ruling under martial law, has been formally received at this level.

 

Meanwhile, just hours after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated in a video message that Prime Minister Modi had a 35-minute phone call with the U.S. president, during which Modi reportedly said the US had no role in mediating between Pakistan and India, President Trump dismissed the claim.

 

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn later that day, Trump asserted that it was, in fact, he who had stopped the war.

 

He said, “Well, I stopped a war … I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India.”