US President Donald Trump on Wednesday acknowledged the deaths of three Indian seafarers killed in US strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it "a rough profession" and suggesting such tragedies were an enduring reality of maritime work.
"I heard about that (the deaths). It's a rough profession, no question about it. This has been happening throughout time," Trump told reporters at the G7 summit in France when asked if he had a message for the families of the sailors.
The exchange began with a reporter praising Trump for being "on the cusp of making history" with a possible peace agreement in the Iran conflict, prompting the President to quip, "I like this guy."
He then turned to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and joked: "Your reporters are much nicer than mine."
Trump also sought to reassure New Delhi on security matters, saying India could count on Washington's support in the face of any threat.
"As long as I am at the White House, India has a friend in the US," he said, adding that the United States would stand by India if it came under attack.
Asked about India's role in West Asia, Trump described the country as an increasingly influential global player and credited Modi's leadership for its growing stature.
"I think India plays a big role in everything as long as he (PM Modi) is the leader. India is going to play a big role," he remarked.
The comments came after Modi welcomed Trump's efforts to end the conflict in West Asia while stressing the need to protect the large number of Indian seafarers working across key global shipping routes.
Expressing hope that the US-Iran understanding would address their safety concerns, Modi said freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remained critical to the world economy.
"Mr President, you and I agree that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is vital for the global economy. India has consistently emphasised the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation and we should work together on it," he said.
Modi noted that hundreds of thousands of Indians work in maritime trade and said their security must remain a priority as the agreement is implemented.
"Hundreds of thousands of Indian seafarers are working across global maritime trade routes and their safety is of utmost importance to us. You made tremendous efforts towards reaching this understanding (peace agreement with Iran). I am confident that the issue of safety of seafarers will receive the highest priority in the implementation of this agreement," he said.
Trump later described his talks with Modi as "great" and praised the prime minister as a tough negotiator.
"People say he is such a nice man. I said he's very, very tough. He's a tough negotiator, and he loves the Indian people, but he also loves the US," he said.
The president also voiced optimism about the proposed India-US trade agreement and indicated that a visit to India was on the cards, though he offered no timeline for either development.