U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a dinner with Republican lawmakers at the White House on July 18, 2025, claimed that five fighter jets were shot down during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, highlighting the severity of the clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Trump emphasized his administration’s pivotal role in brokering a ceasefire, stating, “We stopped the war between Pakistan and India. The situation was very bad. There was a real threat of nuclear conflict.” The ceasefire, announced on May 10, was credited by Trump to U.S. mediation, particularly through Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s discussions with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. However, Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, have denied third-party mediation, insisting the truce was negotiated bilaterally via military channels. On the other hand, Pakistani officials, including former national security adviser Moeed W. Yusuf, acknowledged U.S. intervention, with Islamabad proposing Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role.

On the Israel-Gaza front, Trump expressed hope for the release of additional hostages, stating, “More hostages will be released from Gaza shortly.” This follows a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, brokered by the U.S. and Qatar in June 2025, after 12 days of conflict involving U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel has urged that the ceasefire be extended to Gaza, where 50 hostages remain, with less than half believed to be alive. However, the Gaza conflict, which has killed over 56,000 Palestinians since October 2023, remains volatile, with recent Israeli strikes causing significant civilian casualties, complicating ceasefire prospects.

Economically, Trump touted the U.S. as a global leader in cryptocurrency, declaring, “America is leading the world in crypto. We will make the U.S. the global hub for cryptocurrency.” This aligns with his administration’s push to deregulate the crypto sector, as reported by Reuters, with policies aimed at fostering innovation and attracting blockchain investments.