The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday denied the New York Times’s report claiming that billionaire Elon Musk joined the March 24 call between US President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi to discuss the West Asia crisis. “We have seen the story. The telephone conversation on 24 March was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only. As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for exchange of views on the situation in West Asia,” MEA spokesperson said in a statement.
Earlier, the New York Times reported citing unnamed US officials confirming that Musk was a part of the call between the two heads of nation. American and Indian officials said the call focused on the escalating crisis in the Middle East, particularly Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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The disruption of most maritime traffic through the strait has driven up energy prices worldwide and unsettled markets. The NYT report didn’t mention what Musk talked about on the call.
“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. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability,” PM Modi said in a social media post after the March 24 call.
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In an official statement on the Trump-Modi call, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told PTI, “President Trump has a great relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and this was a productive conversation.”
No official statements from the government mentioned any involvement of Elon Musk in the conversation. Notably, the conversation was the first direct contact between Modi and Trump since the beginning of its war against Iran on February 28. |
