After Op. Sindoor: Trump accepts Modi’s Quad Summit invite, says India
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Although he is busy with the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, the Gaza War, and the now-on-backburner Russia-Ukraine hostilities—and keeping Pakistan army chief Asim Munir firmly in Washington’s check—US President Donald Trump has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to the Quad Summit in India later this year.
Announcing this acceptance, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday that the two leaders spoke on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada during a 35-minute phone call.
They also discussed the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. On the Russia-Ukraine war, they agreed that direct negotiations between the two countries were essential for peace, and pledged to support such efforts. They also reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Quad in the Indo-Pacific region.
Misri said PM Modi also briefed President Trump about the paused Operation Sindoor, and reiterated India’s firm stance that any engagement with Pakistan will not involve third-party mediation.
“PM Modi invited President Trump to the next Quad meeting in India, and the President gladly accepted, expressing enthusiasm about visiting India,” Misri said in a video message, the media reported on Wednesday.
The Quad (or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), which China suspects as “Asian NATO” against Beijing, comprises four democracies—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. It is a strategic forum aimed at ensuring a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific.
The phone call came from Trump as Israeli and Iranian forces continued to exchange strikes for a sixth consecutive day, intensifying the risk to civilians in volatile areas.
Misri also shared details of a prior call on the night of May 9 between PM Modi and US Vice President Vance. India’s retaliatory strikes that night inflicted massivee damage on Pakistan’s military infrastructure, wiped out terror camps and training centres and made several of its airbases inoperable. The severity of India’s response compelled Pakistan to request a cessation of hostilities.
At no point during the PM’s conversation with President Trump were issues like the India-US trade deal or any role for US mediation between India and Pakistan raised. The decision to pause military operations was handled directly between the Indian and Pakistani militaries through established communication channels, and was made at Pakistan’s request.
President Trump, according to Misri, appreciated the clarity provided by PM Modi and voiced support for India’s efforts against terrorism.
PM Modi also politely declined Trump’s invite for a stop-over visit to Washington DC on his way back from the G7 Summit in Canada, citing his scheduled visit to Croatia on June 18.
This was the first conversation between the two leaders since India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, and came hours ahead of Trump’s reported meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief, “Field Marshal” Asim Munir.
Trump has since May repeatedly claimed that he mediated the ceasefire and the threat of cutting off trade forced the countries to stop the hostilities. However, India has rejected his claims, saying the ceasefire was directly negotiated upon at the request of Pakistan’s Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO).
The scheduled meeting between PM Modi and the US President on the sidelines of the G7 Summit could not take place as Trump rushed back to the United States on Tuesday amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.
During the call, PM Modi briefed Trump on Operation Sindoor, emphasising that India’s actions were “measured, precise, and non-escalatory.” He also revealed that, on the night of May 9, US Vice President JD Vance had alerted India about a potential large-scale Pakistani attack. He told Trump that India had made it clear that it would respond with even greater force if provoked.
On the intervening night of May 9-10, Pakistan launched a wave of drone and missile attacks, to which India responded by inflicting significant damage on Pakistani forces, rendering many of their military airbases inoperable.
