Donald Trump praises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says he is "tough as hell"

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “killer” and “tough as hell”, US President Donald Trump once again claimed that he personally stopped the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan.

Speaking at the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Trump lauded Modi as “the nicest looking guy” and “a great leader”, adding, “He looks like someone you’d like to have as your father… but he’s a killer, tough as hell.”

Trump, who arrived in South Korea on Wednesday morning from Japan as part of his three-nation Asian tour, asserted that his intervention prevented an escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Recounting events from the May 7-10 Operation Sindoor, Trump said he used trade negotiations as leverage to halt hostilities. “I called Prime Minister Modi and said, we can’t make a trade deal with you, you’re starting a war with Pakistan. Then I called Pakistan and said the same thing. After two days, both sides called back and said they understood and the fighting stopped,” Trump told the audience, describing the outcome as “amazing.”

The US President also praised Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, calling him “a great fighter” and “a great guy.”

However, Trump’s comments varied between appearances. Speaking earlier in Tokyo at a business reception, he claimed the conflict ended “within 24 hours” after his calls to both leaders, and alleged that “seven brand-new planes were shot down” during the clashes.

“They both said war had nothing to do with trade,” Trump recounted. “But I told them it has everything to do with it - two nuclear powers fighting means nuclear dust all over the place. And within about 24 hours, that was the end of it.”

Trump has repeatedly asserted that he brokered the ceasefire since his May 10 social media post announcing that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” halt to hostilities after “a long night” of talks mediated by Washington.

India, however, has consistently denied US mediation, clarifying that the ceasefire understanding was reached through direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. After four days of heavy drone and missile exchanges, the two sides reached an agreement on May 10 to cease hostilities.