US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and discussed the West Asia situation for the first time since the conflict broke out on February 28, underscoring the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
The call was announced by US ambassador to India Sergio Gor on X: “President Donald Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. They discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open."
Shortly afterwards, the Prime Minister put out a post on the conversation: “Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia.”
The post further read: “India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest.”
The post said: “Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability.”
Tuesday’s call was preceded by a telephonic conversation between external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Monday night. This was the first time the two had spoken after the West Asia conflict began.
On Monday, Jaishankar had also met the envoys of the six countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council. The six nations — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman — host US military bases and supportive facilities, which Iran has been targeting.
Jaishankar followed up his meeting with the GCC envoys with a separate meeting on Tuesday with Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali.
Modi also spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and discussed the evolving situation in West Asia, with particular focus 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,” Modi posted on X.
As with the Russia-Ukraine war, India is among the few countries that have a good working relationship with the three key players — US, Israel and Iran — in this conflict that has engulfed West Asia, though the Prime Minister’s visit to Tel Aviv two days before the air strikes began and Indian statements since February 28 have been perceived to be weighing against Tehran.