Modi – Trump Talks on Iran War, Strait of Hormuz, Bilateral Cooperation
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 14: Amidst the positive move for the resumption of the US – Iran negotiations to end the West Asia war, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Donald Trump discussed the situation in the war zone and the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
During the call that lasted about 40 minutes, the two leaders also stressed the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and secure. It was the first telephonic talk between Mr Modi and Mr Trump since Washington and Tehran struck a ceasefire deal.
U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the two leaders held discussions on bilateral co-operation, including several big-ticket deals. Some big-ticket deals, including on energy, are expected between India and the U.S. in the next few days and weeks, the ambassador said.
Mr Modi in a post after the phone call said India and the US are committed to strengthening their strategic partnership in all areas. “Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors,” the post said. “We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. We also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure,” he added.
Mr Gor described the call as “very positive and productive.” He said President Trump keeps PM Modi updated regularly. “They just got off the phone a few minutes ago. The president gave an update on what is happening in the Middle East, along with some of the big-ticket items happening in Washington between the United States and India,” Gor said. During the call, Trump told PM Modi, “I just want you to know we all love you,” the US envoy said.
It was the third phone call between the two leaders this year and the first after the recent peace talks between Iran and the U.S. They spoke on February 2 to announce progress in a trade deal, and on March 24 to discuss the situation in West Asia.
The US and Iran are in the middle of a two-week fragile ceasefire as efforts continue for a second round of talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend. The latest call between PM Modi and Trump comes a day after the US enforced a fresh blockade of Iranian ports, as Tehran continues to block selective vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Trump on Tuesday said Iran talks could resume in Pakistan over next two days. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said “You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there.”
Earlier in the day, Iran demanded compensation from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan for ‘enabling’ US-Iran aggression, Press TV reported. Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative Amir-Saeid Iravani recently wrote to UN Secretary General António Guterres and Security Council President Jamal Fares Alrowaiei and rejected recent compensation demands from the five Arab nations saying that under the present circumstances, these nations cannot lawfully invoke Article 51 of the UN Charter (the right to self-defence) vis-à-vis Iran as they facilitated the US-Israel aggression.
The skirmishes between the US and Iran have renewed after the failed Islamabad peace talks over the weekend following which US President Donald Trump announced to shut off the strategic Strait of Hormuz. However, the Iran Guards have asserted complete control of the water passage and have warned any approaching US military vessel with ‘decisive action’, Iran’s Press TV reported.
Almost a week after Israel pounded Lebanon with deadly strikes that claimed hundreds of lives and threatened the fragile Iran-US truce, Lebanon and Israel will hold direct talks in the US, hosted by US secretary of state Marco Rubio, US media reported.
As Islamabad peace talks over the weekend ended without a deal, reports suggest that the stalemate was caused over ‘suspension of nuclear activity’. While the US proposed a suspension for 20 years, Iran renewed the proposal and instead pitched a suspension of five years, the New York Times reported. The same issue had dampened the talks between Tehran and Washington in February that were held in Geneva, days after which US-Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, setting off a region-wide conflict.
Fresh talks are likely to be held on Thursday in Geneva or Pakistan, media report said. Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that the next round of Iran-US negotiations was expected soon. Asif made these remarks a day after the Islamabad talks failed to clinch a deal.
