United States (US) President Donald Trump stated on Monday that seven jets were shot down during the Pakistan-India conflict in May this year. 

 

Speaking at a White House press briefing, he again claimed credit for preventing what he described as a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan in May.

 

His statement appears to be in line with Pakistani claims of shooting down six Indian jets on the very first night of the conflict, dealing a huge blow to the Indian Air Force (IAF). India has never explicitly addressed the fact that it lost jets, including Rafales, despite several media reports validifying that Pakistan did successfully shoot down multiple jets. 

 

Following the April 22 Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), New Delhi launched strikes in Pakistan, leading the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to shoot down Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, on the night of May 6–7.

 

During a press conference on May 11, Indian Air Marshal AK Bharti, without disclosing the number of downed Rafales, admitted that “losses are part of combat,” implying irreparable damage to their air force.

 

President Trump said the situation in South Asia was "raging" when fighter jets were shot down during the brief war. "The war with India and Pakistan was the next level that was going to be a nuclear war... They already shot down seven jets," he stated. 

 

He claimed that he told both countries that if they keep fighting, "we are not doing any trade or anything with you". “You've got 24 hours to settle it. They said, ‘Well, there's no more war going on’,” he added.

 

President Trump stated that his use of tariffs and trade pressure was decisive, adding, “I had tariffs and trade, and I was able to say, 'If you go fight and want to kill everybody, that is okay, but I am going to charge you each a 100 per cent tariff when you trade with us’. They all gave up.”

 

Since the conflict between Pakistan and India, he has repeatedly claimed that he brokered a ceasefire on May 10, a claim acknowledged by Islamabad but denied by New Delhi.