United States President Donald Trump has publicly credited himself with preventing a full-scale war between India and Pakistan following a rare and controversial meeting at the White House with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The meeting took place without the presence of any senior Pakistani civilian officials, drawing significant attention from both regional observers and diplomatic analysts.
The lunch, held on 18 June, marked the first known occasion on which a Pakistani military chief was hosted at such a level in Washington independently of the country’s elected leadership. Speaking to reporters shortly afterwards, President Trump said, “The reason I had him here was that I wanted to thank him for not going into the war [with India].” He added, “And I want to thank Prime Minister Modi as well, who just left a few days ago.”
The reference was to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year. On 22 April, a terror attack in Pahalgam resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. India responded with a limited military operation dubbed “Operation Sindoor”, targeting what it described as terrorist infrastructure across the Line of Control. Four days of cross-border hostilities followed before a ceasefire was announced by the White House. Trump’s administration has since claimed credit for de-escalating the situation.
“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,” Trump said. He further claimed that a trade agreement was being developed simultaneously with both countries, although no details have been made public.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed that the meeting with Field Marshal Munir followed the army chief’s public suggestion that Trump be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for “preventing a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan.”
Trump’s remarks came during a wider press interaction in which he also discussed recent Israeli military operations against Iran. In that context, he said Pakistan had “deep knowledge” of Iran and was “not happy about anything,” but added, “It’s not that they’re bad with Israel. They know them both, actually, but they know Iran better.” He noted that Munir had agreed with his views on the situation in the Middle East, though no further specifics were offered.
Field Marshal Asim Munir did not issue a public statement, and Pakistan’s government has not commented officially on the meeting. However, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported that the engagement had not been arranged through standard diplomatic channels. Citing unnamed sources, the paper said the meeting was the result of “unorthodox efforts” involving a group of business and political intermediaries in Washington.
Reuters reported that Munir was expected to use the opportunity to urge the United States not to become directly involved in Israel’s conflict with Iran. Pakistan’s embassy in Washington manages Iran’s interests in the US in the absence of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Tehran, and maintains a longstanding strategic interest in regional stability involving its western neighbour.
The unusual format of the meeting — a direct military-to-presidential engagement without civilian oversight — has raised concerns in New Delhi. Indian officials have not publicly commented, but hours before Trump’s statement, Prime Minister Modi had rejected suggestions of US mediation in the April crisis. In contrast, Trump said again during the press event, “I stopped the war between Pakistan and India.”
“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,” he added, restating his intention to deepen economic ties with both nations.
The episode adds another layer of complexity to the already fragile diplomatic dynamics in South Asia, where civil-military balance remains a key issue in Pakistan, and where India remains wary of third-party involvement in its disputes with Islamabad.
While Trump has made no secret of his desire to position himself as a global mediator, critics and analysts have noted that his approach to diplomacy is increasingly characterised by direct engagement with military leaders and unilateral declarations of success.
The implications for US foreign policy in the region, particularly with regard to its approach to nuclear risk management and civilian oversight in allied countries, remain uncertain.
Read also:
Modi Reiterates India’s Rejection of US Mediation on Kashmir in Call with Trump
