Kamal Ghorui
US President Donald Trump spoke to PM Narendra Modi Tuesday about the West Asia situation, including the need to secure the key energy waterway, Strait of Hormuz, that remains under an Iranian blockade. Modi reiterated India’s support for de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Trump dialled Modi a day after he announced postponement of military strikes on Iranian plants for 5 days, raising hopes of an early cessation of military hostilities, and amid reports that Washington was considering sending Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials. This was also the first conversation between the 2 leaders since they spoke in early February, after which Trump announced agreement for a trade deal and lowered tariffs on India from 50 to 18 percent.
“Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia. India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world,” said Modi in a post on X, adding that they agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability. According to an Indian readout, Modi noted that safe passage of ships through the Strait is vital for global peace, stability and economic well-being. External affairs minister S Jaishankar had spoken to his counterpart Marco Rubio on Monday about the conflict, its likely impact on the international economy and India’s energy security concerns. The news of Trump calling Modi was broken on social media by US ambassador Sergio Gor, who also told a news channel the president was keeping Modi “in the loop”. Trump and Modi also spoke on a day the former seemed to have endorsed Pakistan’s efforts to play the role of a mediator in the conflict. While Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif publicly offered to host talks between the US and Iran for a “comprehensive settlement” of the war that began on February 28, Trump shared a screenshot of Shehbaz’s post on his Truth Social platform. While Iran has allowed several Indian ships to sail through the Strait in the past 2 weeks, many Indian vessels remain stuck at the chokepoint. Government sources said India remains engaged diplomatically with Tehran to facilitate the movement of these ships. Jaishankar met Iran’s ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali on Tuesday and shared India’s concerns about the situation, while thanking Iran for its support to Indian nationals in the country. Modi on Tuesday also spoke to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and discussed the evolving situation in West Asia, with particular focus, as he said, on disruptions affecting global energy security. “We reviewed progress on key initiatives aimed at strengthening India-Sri Lanka energy cooperation and enhancing regional security. As close and trusted partners, we reaffirmed our commitment to work closely together in addressing shared challenges,” said Modi in a social media post. India has not officially responded to Trump’s delaying of military action on Iranian energy installations with the MEA only saying the government is closely monitoring developments related to the conflict. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Tuesday both Modi and Jaishankar are stressing in their engagements that peace can be restored only through dialogue and diplomacy. Like many of US’ European allies, India had shown little interest in joining a US-led naval coalition to keep Strait of Hormuz open.
