Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone yesterday and discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, US envoy to India Sergio Gor and Modi said in separate posts on X.
This was the first call between the two leaders since the US and Israel launched co-ordinated attacks against Iran on February 28.
“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,” Modi said in his post.
The conflict has disrupted sectors from air travel to shipping and gas supplies, including by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a conduit for 40 per cent of India’s crude oil imports. Modi told parliament on Monday that the crisis had triggered unprecedented challenges for India and added that the fundamentals of the Indian economy were strong and the country had adequate availability of petroleum, fertilisers and coal to weather trade and energy disruptions.
A White House official confirmed the call between Trump and Modi but did not comment on what was discussed.
l President Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that Türkiye will continue working with all its resources to establish peace in the Iran war, which he said has hit the Turkish economy and the whole world.
Erdogan said the government is considering various measures to protect the economy from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has engulfed the region and sent energy prices soaring.
l Lebanon has withdrawn accreditation from the Iranian ambassador and declared him persona non grata, demanding his departure from Lebanon by Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The ministry also summoned the Lebanese ambassador to Iran for consultations, citing what it described as Tehran’s violation of diplomatic norms and established practices between the two countries.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised the decision, while Hizbollah condemned it.
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