Trump drops claim of brokering India-Pakistan peace
US President
Donald Trump
, for the first time, refrained from claiming credit for ending the recent India-Pakistan conflict, saying instead two 'very smart' leaders — Prime Minister Narendra
Modi
and Pakistan Army chief
Asim Munir
— had 'decided' not to pursue war.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after hosting Munir for lunch on Wednesday, Trump also said they discussed the Iran situation, indicating that the US and Pakistan could collaborate on Persian Gulf region matters amid escalating Iran-Israel conflict.
'The reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war (with India) and ending the war,' Trump said. 'I am so happy. Two smart people, two very smart people, decided not to keep going with the war. Those are two big nuclear powers.'
Trump-Munir Meeting
During a phone conversation with Trump on Tuesday, Modi made it clear that India has not accepted and will not accept any mediation in its dispute with Pakistan.
Since May 10, when India and Pakistan agreed to stop the military conflict following India's Operation Sindoor strike, Trump has on multiple occasions claimed personal credit for brokering peace between the two nuclear power neighbours. India has maintained that the director generals of military operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan had reached an understanding to cease hostilities after Pakistan DGMO approached his Indian counterpart on May 10 and that no third party was involved.
Live Events
Wednesday marked the first meeting between a US president and the head of Pakistan's military in decades. It was held without accompanying senior civilian officials.
Trump said he was 'honoured' to meet Munir.
'Prime minister Modi just left a little while ago, and we are working a trade deal with India,' he said. 'We are working a trade deal with Pakistan.'
The Trump-Munir meeting has caused unease in India as it signals expansion of the US-Pakistan ties, with Washington overlooking New Delhi's contention that Islamabad sponsors cross-border terrorism.
Trump, Munir Discuss Iran
On discussing Iran with Munir, Trump said, 'They (Pakistan) know Iran very well…better than most, and they're not happy about anything. They see what's going on. And he agreed with me.'
He did not elaborate. There have been reports that Pakistan may provide air space to the US military to strike Iran while many expected Munir to try to convince Trump not to enter Israel's war with Iran.
On Monday, Pakistan's foreign minister Ishaq Dar had told parliament that Iran was willing to return to the negotiating table if Israel stopped further strikes. 'Our intention was always to see successful negotiations between the United States and Iran,' Dar had said, citing direct communication with his Iranian counterpart.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Federal judge says Trump can't tie state funding to immigration enforcement
A US judge on Thursday stopped the Trump administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to help with immigration enforcement in order to receive federal transportation grants. Chief US District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island ruled that the US Department of Transportation cannot require states to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) to get billions in funding. The judge said this condition violated the US Constitution. 'Congress did not authorize or give authority to the Secretary of Transportation to impose immigration enforcement conditions on federal dollars meant for transportation,' McConnell wrote in his ruling. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo The judge added that the administration failed to show any logical link between cooperating with ICE and the purpose of the transportation grants, which are meant for highways, bridges, and other public works. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The 20 states, along with local governments, had sued after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned them they could lose funding if they did not help enforce federal immigration law. Duffy's April 24 notice told states they must support ICE or risk losing money for road and bridge projects. Live Events RECOMMENDED STORIES FOR YOU 'Any illegal immigrants?' Trump asks White House workers about deportation status Trump shifts immigration enforcement to US cities after farm sector backlash America's immigration mess shows it failing as a nation of laws McConnell's ruling blocks the policy while the lawsuit continues. The Trump administration had defended its policy as part of its broad crackdown on sanctuary cities and states that refuse to help with immigration arrests. Since returning to office in January, Trump has signed several executive orders calling for cuts to funding for jurisdictions that do not assist ICE. California Attorney General Rob Bonta welcomed the judge's decision. 'Trump was treating these funds — money for roads and public safety — as a bargaining chip,' Bonta said. The states also have another case in Rhode Island challenging similar conditions the Homeland Security Department placed on other grant programs. The Trump administration has not yet commented on the ruling.
Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘You can worry about this later': Trump rejects Putin's offer to broker Israel-Iran ceasefire, asks him to mediate his own first
Amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, US President Donald Trump said he rejected his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's offer to mediate a ceasefire between the two longstanding foes in the Middle East, telling him to focus on brokering his own peace deal with Ukraine first. 'I spoke to Putin yesterday and he actually offered to help mediate,' Trump told reporters on Wednesday (June 18). 'I said, 'Do me a favour, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first.' I said, 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later,' he added. Trump's remarks come after Putin, during his meeting with senior news leaders of international news agencies in St. Petersburg, said that Russia had shared proposals with Israel, Iran and the United States to de-escalate the situation in the West Asia region. 'We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation,' he said. 'But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel.' He then affirmed that even though the situation is complex, a solution to the conflict is possible 'It's a delicate issue,' the Russian president said. 'In my view, a solution could be found.' Trump and Putin held a telephonic conversation on Saturday where the two leaders discussed the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran and also spoke about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social handle, said that he and his Russian counterpart spoke about Israel's ballistic attacks on Tehran and Iran's retaliatory missile salvos, while also highlighting that he pressed the Russian president to end the war in Ukraine. 'President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well,' Trump wrote. 'We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps — large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides,' he said. 'The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.'
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Broken all records of deception': Tejashwi targets PM Modi ahead of Bihar visit; dares him to revisit his own past speeches
File photo: Former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and PM Modi (Picture credit: PTI) NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's scheduled visit to Bihar's Siwan, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state. In an open letter posted on the social media platform X, the former Bihar deputy Chief Minister accused the Prime Minister of repeatedly misleading the people of Bihar through what he called over 200 "jumla-filled" election rallies. Tejashwi claimed PM Modi 'has broken all records of deception' and dared him to revisit his own past speeches. 'You will not be able to speak due to embarrassment,' he wrote, urging the Prime Minister to introspect before addressing the public in Siwan on Friday. The RJD leader raised 12-pointed questions, demanding accountability for the state's poor rankings on key development indices. He asked the Prime Minister why Bihar remains at the bottom in terms of per capita income, literacy, industrialisation, employment and investment, despite over a decade of NDA rule at the Centre and two decades of governance by the so-called "double engine" in Bihar. Yadav further asked whether PM Modi would merely re-announce infrastructure schemes that have been 'inaugurated or launched multiple times since 2015'. He said, 'Will you again indulge in showy foundation-laying ceremonies of projects already underway?' Tejashwi also challenged PM Modi to address issues like rampant corruption, alleging that over ₹2 lakh crore has been looted through more than 20 scams in 20 years of NDA rule. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ambato: Ecuatorianos: generen un segundo ingreso con Amazon CFD. InvestIQ Registrarse Undo 'Earlier, you yourself listed 20 scams under Nitish Kumar. Will you now shy away from acknowledging them?' he asked. He accused the state administration of coercing government employees, including ASHA and anganwadi workers, to attend the PM's rally in Siwan at their own expense. 'Why are poor workers being financially and mentally harassed for your show of strength?' Yadav wrote. In a provocative query, the RJD leader asked whether PM Modi would explain why Indian soldiers were reportedly restrained during Operation Sindoor due to an alleged ceasefire announcement made by US President Donald Trump. 'Who is Trump to announce a ceasefire for India? Is he your dear friend?' he asked. Tejashwi also questioned if the PM would refer to the 'unconscious state' of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as he once did with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and whether PM Modi would address allegations of political favouritism in alliance nominations. He cited violence and law-and-order issues, asking whether the PM would condemn recent shootings near the CM's residence and Raj Bhavan. He wrote, 'Will you muster the courage to speak on the failures of your own government or will you once again blame the opposition?' Meanwhile, PM Modi is on a two-day visit beginning Friday, with stops in Bihar, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. In Siwan, he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several development projects. This includes boosting railway connectivity and other infrastructure as part of efforts to drive socio-economic growth in the region. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will reach Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where he is scheduled to unveil projects worth over Rs 18,600 crore and launch initiatives like the Baraputra Aitihya Gram Yojana, as well as flag off 100 electric buses under CRUT to strengthen green urban mobility.
