US President Donald Trump has drawn sharp criticism after stating that India and Pakistan have been fighting over Kashmir for 1,500 years, a remark widely dismissed as historically inaccurate.
His comments come at a time when tensions between the two South Asian neighbors have reached dangerous levels following a deadly attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
The latest flare-up began after a shooting in the popular tourist area of Pahalgam left 26 people dead. The Resistance Front, a group India accuses of having ties to Pakistan, claimed responsibility. Pakistan has denied involvement, but India responded with a series of hostile moves, including revoking Pakistani citizens’ visas, sealing major border crossings, and suspending the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the flow of key rivers shared by the two countries.
Islamabad warned that canceling the water agreement could be viewed as an act of war, escalating fears of open conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Diplomatic relations remain severely strained, and both sides have issued strong statements reinforcing their respective stances on Kashmir.
When asked by reporters on Friday whether the United States would intervene or mediate between India and Pakistan, Trump stated that he had strong ties with both countries and claimed the Kashmir conflict had been ongoing for over a millennium. His claim that India and Pakistan had been “fighting for 1,500 years” quickly drew widespread ridicule and concern, as the nation of Pakistan was created in 1947 during the partition of British India.
Historians and critics were quick to correct the timeline, noting that modern disputes over Kashmir date back less than a century and are rooted in the geopolitical changes following the end of British colonial rule. While the region has seen centuries of conflict under various empires, the India-Pakistan dimension of the issue is relatively recent.
This is not the first time Trump has made controversial statements about foreign affairs. However, in this case, observers worry that such remarks could add confusion or misrepresent the complex nature of the Kashmir dispute. So far, there is no indication that Washington will take a direct role in the current standoff.
As diplomatic and security tensions continue to rise, both India and Pakistan remain on high alert, with international observers urging restraint. For now, the risk of escalation remains, and the world is watching closely to see what steps the two governments will take next.