U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed the unfolding U.S.-Israel war on Iran. This is the first conversation between the two leaders since February 28, which marked the beginning of the conflict that has since killed at least six Indians in the region and impacted free movement of energy resources through the Strait of Hormuz, sending shockwaves across the global energy market.
“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,” said Prime Minister Modi in a post on X.
Iran-Israel war updates on March 24, 2026
Mr. Modi has been in contact with several leading interlocutors over the past four weeks as U.S. and Israel hit Iran’s energy hubs prompting Iran to retaliate on energy targets across the region. The attacks have disrupted the global energy market pushing prices of crude high and triggering uncertainty about availability of LPG in India and other energy-hungry economies.
U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also posted online about the conversation between the two leaders saying that “they discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open”.
Officials here had been tracking the reported exchanges on a possible U.S.-Israel and Iran ceasefire through mediation conducted by several countries, including Pakistan. However, Iran has denied any such talks have been held with the Trump administration.
The U.S. and India had been engaging on a bilateral trade pact before the war broke out. The trade talks had advanced in February, months after Mr. Trump resorted to imposing punitive tariffs on India last year for purchasing Russian oil. India has paused the trade deal with the U.S. against the backdrop of the latest war.
However, as the global energy crisis deepened after the beginning of U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran and Iran’s retaliation, the U.S. has relaxed the sanctions on purchase of Russian energy prompting India to purchase Russian crude once again. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said India has been “buying energy from several countries including Russia” and described resumption of purchase of Russian crude as a “normal” affair.
To ensure energy supply from Russia and transit of energy from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, India has been engaged with both Russia and Iran. On March 23, Mr. Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke at a conference virtually and called for strengthening India-Russia ties while Mr. Lavrov invited Mr. Modi to Moscow for the next India-Russia annual summit that will be hosted in Russia this year.
On March 21, Prime Minister Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the occasion of Eid and Nowruz and “emphasised the importance of preserving freedom of navigation”. At the same time, Mr. Jaishankar also spoke with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi. The External Affairs Minister on Tuesday met with Iran’s ambassador Mohammad Fathali here. “Discussed the conflict in West Asia. Appreciate the support provided to Indians in Iran in these challenging times,” said Mr. Jaishankar. He also spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 23 and met envoys of the Gulf countries in the national capital.
Published – March 24, 2026 08:17 pm IST
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