US President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to mediate in the escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, following deadly clashes along their shared border.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, October 13, on board Air Force One from Washington to Israel, Trump declared, “I am good at solving wars.”
The remarks came after intense shelling erupted between late Saturday night and Sunday morning along the Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that 23 Pakistani soldiers and more than 200 Taliban and allied fighters were killed during Islamabad’s retaliatory operations in response to what it described as an attack originating from Afghan territory.
Since returning to the White House for a second term, Trump has frequently claimed credit for ending “eight wars,” asserting that his record makes him deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize—a claim widely regarded by analysts as exaggerated.
When asked by a reporter how the Pakistan–Afghanistan conflict might affect his legacy—particularly as both Republicans and Democrats have credited him with brokering a recent ceasefire in Gaza—Trump responded confidently: “This is the eighth war that I have resolved. Now I hear there’s a war going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I said, ‘I’ll go back and see that too.’ I’m going to resolve another one. Because I’m skilled at resolving wars and making peace—and it’s an honour for me to do so. I save millions of lives.”
Trump also commented on the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. “The Nobel Committee has to be fair,” he said. “It was for 2024… but many say they could have made an exception given the important things accomplished in 2025. But I didn’t do it for the Nobel—I did it to save lives.”
He went on to cite his alleged role in ending long-standing conflicts between India and Pakistan. “Think about India–Pakistan—there were several wars that went on for decades. One was 31 years old, one was 32, another 37. I ended each one basically in a day. That’s not bad,” he claimed.
Trump added that he had threatened both nations with steep tariffs—“100, 150, even 200 percent”—if they resorted to nuclear weapons, asserting that this ultimatum brought the conflict to a halt within 24 hours.
His remarks appear to reference the May 2025 military escalation between India and Pakistan—the deadliest in decades—triggered by a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of involvement, which Islamabad denied. Over four days, both sides deployed fighter jets, missiles, artillery, and drones. Pakistan claimed to have downed six Indian aircraft, including a French-made Rafale; India acknowledged “some losses” but disputed the higher figure. The hostilities eventually ceased following a mutual ceasefire.
While Trump’s assertions about his diplomatic achievements remain contested, his latest offer to mediate underscores his continued emphasis on personal diplomacy as a cornerstone of his foreign policy approach.