US President Donald Trump held a “productive” conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week, the White House said on Friday. US President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi (Bloomberg)
According to The New York Times, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk also joined the call on Tuesday, during which the leaders discussed the situation in West Asia.
"President Trump has a great relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and this was a productive conversation," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to PTI.
In a post on X, PM Modi shared the diplomatic exchange, stating that both sides called for an "open, secure and accessible" Strait of Hormuz and reiterated India's stance on de-escalation and peace amid the US-Iran war.
"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. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability," the PM stated in his post.
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Why Elon Musk joined the Trump-Modi call? Elon Musk joined a phone call on Tuesday between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump in a rare instance of a private citizen being part of a conversation between two heads of state during a wartime crisis, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed US officials.
The report, which cited two US officials confirming Musk’s presence, suggested the world’s richest man may be back on better terms with Trump after a fallout last year following his exit from the administration, where he had been tasked with cutting the federal workforce.
It remains unclear why Musk was included in the call or whether he spoke during the conversation.
The call marked the first interaction between the two leaders since the West Asia conflict began on February 28. During the discussion, PM Modi emphasised the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, secure and accessible, calling it crucial for global peace, stability and economic well-being.