00:05And we got across to breaking news coming in the latest tweet by Ambassador Sergio Gore who has said and
00:11I quote President Donald Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
00:14They discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East war including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
00:21Remember this is the latest post that has come in from U.S. Ambassador Vinda Sergio Gore who has now
00:28gone on to speak of how there has been a conversation between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
00:36That exact post that reads and I quote President Donald Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They discussed
00:41the ongoing situation in the Middle East war including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
00:47Remember India being one of those exceptions by Iran have been allowed to have those oil vessels pass safely through
00:58the Strait of Hormuz while three of those oil vessels that have already reached India.
01:03Two that are en route and one thing that is clearly coming out of Sergio Gore's post where he goes
01:10on to reiterate to how the Strait of Hormuz and keeping it open was also discussed between Prime Minister Narendra
01:18Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump.
01:21We are trying to get further details of what exactly was discussed between the two leaders. Geeta Mohan my colleague
01:27with us on the phone line. Geeta so far India has maintained a neutral position on the West Asia war
01:33while urging for peace, diplomacy and dialogue but with regards to the conversation between Prime Minister Modi and U.S.
01:40President Donald Trump. What more can you tell us?
01:42Well these are just initial information that we are getting but we do know that the off ramp that we
01:49are looking at requires support from all neighbouring countries particularly those who have good influence are in the good books
01:57of both Iran and Israel and India has that unique position and therefore we are looking at a conversation now
02:04at the leadership level between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi discussing the Middle East situation and the Strait of
02:10Hormuz.
02:10Also remember India is also remember India is one of the rare countries that actually has been allowed to allow
02:18safe passage of its vessels to the Strait of Hormuz and this is the fourth anchor that is now reaching
02:24India and Indian shores.
02:27So suffice to say that the US administration has been monitoring the situation and the countries that actually can influence
02:37peace in the region.
02:38And while China and while China also has had a lot of vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz not
02:45a country that would be willing to offer its good offices for a war that it says was a war
02:54of choice by America.
02:56But Donald Trump has spoken to Prime Minister Modi, the focus is Middle East, that's the West Asia crisis, the
03:03ongoing situation there and the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
03:08So what is it that we expect from India is something we'll have to learn from our sources.
03:13Right now this is just initial information on the fact that the emphasis was on the need to keep the
03:19Strait of Hormuz open and in all probability Donald Trump over here seeking some sort of a cooperation from New
03:28Delhi.
03:30All right, Geetha, continue to stay on with us. Gaurav Samant also joining us from the newsroom.
03:35Gaurav, two aspects that I want to understand. Some news reports also saying, especially the US media, claiming that apart
03:41from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, India is also helping as far as mediation of talks is concerned.
03:47And the other, of course, given the fact that India being one of those exceptions and thanks to our good
03:52relations with Iran, that our oil vessels are being allowed to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.
03:57What aspect may have been discussed between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi with regards to opening of the Strait of
04:06Hormuz is concerned?
04:07So India has always been a very strong advocate of dialogue and diplomacy and that's the path India has adopted.
04:14And that is why two more vessels of India were able to cross the Strait of Hormuz today with almost
04:2093,000 metric tons of LPG for India.
04:25You know, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump's conversations follow the conversation that took place between India's External Affairs
04:34Minister, Dr. S. Jai Shankar and Secretary of State Marco Rubio just yesterday.
04:39So within 19 hours, this is the second conversation that is taking place.
04:43Now, President Trump is very keen that democracies play a bigger role in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
04:50He's sought help of multiple countries including Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany and others and especially the GCC countries
04:59because he says those that actually take oil and gas from this region should play a much bigger role.
05:04And India has a Marine Task Force, an Indian Navy Task Force is already deployed which is escorting Indian ships
05:11back to India once they cross the Strait of Hormuz.
05:14I must also mention here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Masood Pazishkian of Iran and Sayyad Abbas Araki,
05:22the Foreign Minister of Iran and India's External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jai Shankar,
05:26they've had multiple conversations in the past which has led to a number of Indian ships being permitted to cross
05:32the Strait of Hormuz.
05:34So it is a very tricky situation.
05:36The Prime Minister and Rajya Sabah mentioned how India is gearing up for the long haul and quite like COVID,
05:43everyone will have to come together to see that all the hardships that the nation will face,
05:48you're able to find a solution to it and seven task forces have been formed to find a solution to
05:54every problem and challenge that arises.
05:58Gaurav, also to understand that as far as Donald Trump is concerned, he has been making fluctuating statements.
06:07Now, whether it is with regards to the time where India was witnessing tensions with Pakistan during Operation Sindhu or
06:14even now with the sort of statements that have been made by Donald Trump during the West Asia war.
06:19But India has maintained a very neutral position, whether it is Israel, US or Iran, urging for peace, dialogue and
06:27diplomacy.
06:28What is the sort of help, given the fact that Trump is somewhere wanting to mark an end to the
06:35war?
06:35And that is the statement he has made.
06:42So President Trump does appear to be looking for an off-ramp, but can President Trump be taken at face
06:47value, given the fact that Syed Abbas Arakchi, the foreign minister of Iran, has mentioned twice they were in dialogue
06:54for peace, negotiations were on.
06:57And twice Iran was attacked, both during the 12-day war in 2025 and as late as 27th of February
07:04talks were on in Geneva, Iran had agreed to most of the points.
07:08Oman's foreign minister said so and yet Iran was bombed.
07:11So how seriously will Iran take this conversation remains to be seen, though multiple countries, as you rightly pointed out,
07:18Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan seem to be attempting this.
07:22As far as India is concerned, India has always been in very strong favour of dialogue and diplomacy to find
07:28a solution to any crisis, whether it is between Russia, Ukraine or Israel, Iran right now.
07:34What role can India play?
07:36Well, India's first interest and primary interest is to ensure that sea lanes of communication remain open for our oil,
07:43our gas to come to our shores.
07:45And also for one crore Indians who live there, they should be able to work safely, live safely and should
07:52there be a requirement, you know, they must be assisted.
07:56And that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the external affairs minister have constantly been in touch with the
08:01heads of state, governments and foreign ministers of the GCC countries and other countries in the region.
08:06So that's India's primary concern to, you know, how serious are President Trump's efforts right now to find peace at
08:14a time when they say they're looking at peace, at the same time bombing Iran, India would rather secure our
08:21own shores and our own interests.
08:23That's far more important.
08:25Oh, yes, absolutely. But Gaurav, I once again want to come to the point of how U.S. President Donald
08:30Trump had made statements during Operation Sindhu saying that he had mediated talks and a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
08:36Those were claims that were denied by the government of India.
08:40At this point, when the situation is so sensitive, the world would be waiting to hear what exactly has been
08:46discussed between U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi vis-a-vis the West Asia war.
08:52Where are we likely to get details of what comes in and who is likely to make a statement first?
08:59Because what the U.S. claims also has to be something that India has to be on the same page
09:05on.
09:07So there would be a readout from the White House perhaps in a while and then whether through sources or
09:13from the spokesperson of the Minister of External Affairs, we will get information of what that conversation was like.
09:18Now, when it comes to any deployment in any area, India has always been in favor of deployment under the
09:25U.N. flag.
09:26It has to be U.N. mandated, you know, for any international task force to be deployed in any area
09:33and all stakeholders have to be on board on that.
09:36So if America wants certain countries to participate in certain operations, it will have to be whether it is the
09:42North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, they move in, whether it's GCC countries, they move in.
09:47There were some reports that seemed to indicate that both UAE and Saudi Arabia have been extremely miffed by the
09:53manner in which Iran had targeted, you know, civilian interests and areas in their country.
09:59And they are in favor of stronger action. There are several GCC countries that actually, according to reports that are
10:05emerging from the region, they want Iran to be defanged, if I may.
10:09Right now, their military capabilities, their missile launch capabilities, their drone capabilities need to be checked so that they don't
10:16pose a threat to GCC countries in the region.
10:20And that is why it's very unlikely that there would be peace in the next five days, even if there
10:25is some kind of off-ramp.
10:26And ultimately, Israel's interests, as far as, you know, when you talk to anybody in Israel, it's all about ensuring
10:33that Iran does not remain a threat to Israel, whether it was 12-day war last time or 25 days
10:38and counting this time.
10:39Iran does continue to pose a threat to Israel and to countries in the region right now.
10:45And it remains to be seen how this war is pursued from this point on.
10:49Oh, yes, absolutely. And Gaurav, I quickly want to refer to the breaking news that we just spoke about a
10:55short while ago on India Today, where Israel has claimed that Trump is determined to end this war.
11:01But there are a set of conditions that he will lay in front of Iran.
11:06Now, whether Iran will give in or not is the bigger question.
11:09But Trump is determined to end this war.
11:12Can we draw any sort of a link with regards to that position of the U.S. or, you know,
11:21what may happen next and the timing of Trump's call with Narendra Modi?
11:28That, of course, being the bigger question.
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