U.S. President Donald Trump reacts at the end of the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S. on February 24, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) night (local time) once again claimed that he had ended eight wars including the India-Pakistan conflict that arose in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Terror attacks last year. In his address, the U.S. President also made a stunning revelation saying that Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif had told him that almost 35 million people would have died had he not intervened in the conflict.
“In my first 10 months, I ended eight wars… Cambodia and Thailand… Pakistan and India would have had a nuclear war. 35 million people said the Prime Minister of Pakistan would have died if it were not for my involvement,” he claimed. India has denied any involvement of the United States in the agreement to cease hostilities with Pakistan, maintaining that the request to end military operations had come from the Director General of Military operations in Pakistan.
India had initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, the operation was a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan. In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan initiated a series of retaliatory drone and UCAV attacks targeting key Indian airbases and logistics infrastructure. These attempts, however, were effectively neutralised by India’s comprehensive and multi-layered air defence architecture.
The operation unfolded across land, air, and sea, a seamless demonstration of synergy between the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy. The Indian Air Force (IAF) played a crucial role in delivering precision strikes against terror infrastructure across Pakistan. It conducted high-impact air operations on targets such as the Nur Khan Air Base and the Rahimyar Khan Air Base.
Meanwhile, in his State of the Union Address. the U.S. President said his administration was “working hard” to end “the killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine, calling it “a war which would have never happened if I were President.” Addressing the situation in Iran, Mr. Trump kept his options open saying he still preferred a diplomatic solution. “They have already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they are working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America. My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t happen,” Mr. Trump said.
Published – February 25, 2026 09:57 am IST
