Trump Offers to Mediate as India-Pakistan Tensions Flare Post ‘Operation Sindoor’
Washington, D.C., May 8, 2025 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed concern over the escalating hostilities between India and Pakistan following the Indian military’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump urged both nations to “stop attacking each other” and offered his assistance in defusing tensions.
“It’s so terrible,” Trump told reporters. “My position is that I get along with both. I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop. And hopefully they can stop now. They’ve gone tit for tat. But I know both, we get along with both countries very well… and if I can do anything to help, I will be there.”
Trump’s comments came a day after New Delhi confirmed the launch of precision strikes on terror facilities in Pakistan’s Punjab province and PoK. The military operation was carried out in response to last month’s deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
The Indian military stated that the attacks were carefully targeted, aiming exclusively at terror hideouts. However, Pakistan has reported civilian casualties. Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry claimed 31 people were killed and 57 injured during the strikes, which also included exchanges along the Line of Control.
Speaking further on the issue, Trump reflected on the long history of conflict between the two South Asian neighbors. “They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve been fighting for many, many decades—and centuries if you think about it,” he said.
Asked whether he had any direct message for the two countries, Trump replied, “No, I just hope it ends very quickly.”
Trump’s remarks signal growing international concern over the rapidly deteriorating security environment in the region. While the U.S. administration has yet to issue an official statement, Trump’s offer to mediate may draw mixed reactions from both India and Pakistan, given his prior involvement in regional diplomacy.
As the world watches closely, it remains to be seen whether diplomatic efforts—formal or informal—can help pull both nuclear-armed nations back from the brink.
