NEW DELHI, Mar 24: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone onTuesday and discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, US envoy to India Sergio Gor said in a post on X.
This is the first phone call between the two since the US-Israel war on Iran began. Sources told NDTV that peace, stability, and energy security were a key part of the Prime Minister's conversations, as was free movement through the Hormuz.
"Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia," the Prime Minister said after the call. "India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure, and accessible is essential for the world. We agreed to stay in touch for efforts towards peace and stability."
Sources further told NDTV that India - as a major buyer of Middle East oil and gas - had a 'direct' and 'high-stakes' interest in the re-opening of the Hormuz and is set to play a key role in any peace talks between the US, Israel, and Iran.
The Trump-Modi call came a day after the US President claimed "very good and productive conversations (with Tehran) regarding a total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East". Trump said he had ordered the postponement of any planned American military strikes on Iranian power plants and/or energy infrastructure for five days to allow talks to proceed.
Trump''s post raised hopes of a ceasefire, however temporary, to fighting that has raged in the Middle East since Feb 28 and had a shock effect on the energy market, including driving benchmark Brent crude prices well past the US$100 red line.
But days before that Trump threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if it did not reopen the Hormuz, closure of which has led to fuel prices going up in the US and pressure being exerted on his administration ahead of mid-term polls in November.
Meanwhile, hours before the Trump call, the PM told Parliament the war has triggered a "severe energy crisis".
He said the war had disrupted supply of essential goods like fuel, gas, and fertilisers, all of which India sources, in vast quantities, from Middle East nations like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, and all of which have been hit by Iran strikes.
India, however, has sufficient stores of crude oil and gas, the PM said. Junior Petroleum Minister Suresh Gopi told the Rajya Sabha the country had an estimated 3.372 million tons of crude in reserve, apart from stocks of refined products.
The PM also said he had spoken to Gulf nations and discussed the need for de-escalation in fighting and re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz. "Attacks on commercial vessels and obstacles to international navigation are unacceptable," he said. "AGENCIES
