NextFin news, On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in an interview with Fox News Channel's "Hannity" that his use of tariffs as diplomatic leverage helped bring peace to multiple conflict zones around the world.
Trump asserted that his tariff policies were instrumental in ending hostilities between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbors. He said he threatened to impose "massive tariffs" on both countries unless they ceased fighting, which led to a peace deal within 24 hours. Trump referenced a recent military conflict involving seven planes being shot down but did not specify which side's aircraft were involved.
He further stated that tariffs provide "a tremendous road to peace and the saving of millions of lives," crediting trade pressure for at least five of the seven peace deals he claimed to have brokered during his administration. These deals, according to Trump, involved countries that had been in conflict for hundreds of years.
In addition to South Asia, Trump highlighted his role in the Middle East peace process, describing the recent Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas as "an incredible thing." He said the deal was beneficial for Israel, Muslims, Arab countries, and the United States, and that it represented more than just peace in Gaza but a broader peace in the Middle East.
Trump also mentioned plans for future phases of the peace process, including the reconstruction of Gaza and the formation of a "Council of Peace." He expressed confidence that the Middle East would become "a different world" with ongoing peace and stability.
The ceasefire between India and Pakistan followed Operation Sindoor launched by India on May 7, 2025, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. After four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes, the two countries reached an understanding to end hostilities on May 10, 2025, following direct talks between their military officials.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for ending seven wars during his second term, including conflicts involving India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
His statements on Wednesday reiterated his belief that tariffs and trade leverage are effective tools for diplomacy and conflict resolution, a position he emphasized as part of his broader foreign policy legacy.
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