Denying a media report which claimed SpaceX founder Elon Musk was part of the telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, India said on Saturday that the call was only between the two leaders and it focused on the situation in the Middle East where a conflict is underway between America, Israel and Iran.
"We have seen the story. The telephone conversation on 24 March was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only," news agency ANI quoted a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson as saying. "As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for exchange of views on the situation in West Asia."
A report by the New York Times (NYT) claimed on Friday that the billionaire was part of the call between PM Modi and Trump, Citing two officials, the report claimed that Musk's participation hints that the relationship between him and Trump was improving. Musk was a key part of Trump 2024 presidency campaign but their relationship had fallen out last summer after which he left the government.
PM Modi-President Trump's telephonic conversation
The Indian prime minister and US president had held the call on March 24 over the situation in the Middle East, with the former reiterating that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open for global shipping. This was the first conversation between them since the beginning of hostilities in the Middle East on February 28.
"Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia," said PM Modi on X (formerly Twitter) after the call. "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."
Since the beginning of the war, PM Modi has held talks with multiple world leaders, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, and the leaders of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states - Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In all his conversations, he called for end to the conflict and resolving issues via dialogue and diplomacy.
