Trump dials Modi to brief on Hormuz situation; set to seal ‘big-ticket’ deals

US President Donald Trump dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East, including the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and secure.”

The nearly 40-minute conversation came amid rising global concerns over the US naval blockade of Iran’s ports and reports of a possible second round of direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran following the collapse of initial talks in Islamabad.

Shortly after the call, Modi said the two leaders reviewed the “substantial progress” in bilateral ties and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership across sectors.

Separately, US envoy Sergio Gor indicated that India and the United States are expected to seal several “big-ticket” agreements in the near future, including in the energy sector, as part of efforts to deepen strategic and economic cooperation.

It was the third phone call between the two leaders this year and the first after the recent peace talks between Iran and the US. They spoke on February 2 to announce progress in a trade deal, and on March 24 to discuss the situation in West Asia.

Soon after the call, US ambassador Gor told a select group of journalists that some ”big-ticket deals”, including on energy, are expected to be sealed between India and the US in the next ”few days and weeks”. However, he refused to elaborate on the deals.

“Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas,” Modi said on social media. “We also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure,” he said.

The call ended with Trump telling PM Modi that: “I just want you to know we all love you”, according to Ambassador Gor. “We do have some big-ticket items that will be announced over the next few days or the next few weeks, and the relationship is on a firm footing. We will have something very interesting and exciting,” he said.

On the Modi-Trump discussion on Middle East, Gor said the US President wanted to update the prime minister on the overall situation in the region. “You have a nation that is holding the entire world hostage. These are international waterways. There are international treaties,” the envoy said, referring to Iran blocking the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which has resulted in a spike in energy prices.

“There's only one reason that prices (of oil and gas) have gone up (and that) is because somebody is holding this area hostage. So obviously the United States wants to open this waterway. And so, I think it benefits the whole world, including here in India,” he said.

Gor said PM Modi and President Trump also discussed the US naval blockade of Iran's ports. He refused to answer questions on any fresh talks between Iran and the US after the collapse of the negotiations in Islamabad. “It's not for me to announce any future talks. They did talk about the blockade and the importance of it reopening as soon as possible. Frankly, this whole region, the whole world is suffering because of this,” he said.

The call between the two leaders came two days after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri wrapped up a three-day visit to Washington DC.

Both sides have been working to stabilise the ties after a spell of uncertainty and strain. The relations witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India and President Trump made controversial assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military clashes last May.

However, both sides made efforts in the last few months to repair the ties. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India next month to hold wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other functionaries of the government.