What Happened
- US President Trump and Prime Minister Modi held a 40-minute phone call — their third bilateral conversation in 2026 — to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia
- The two leaders reviewed progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and agreed on the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure
- The call came approximately 48 hours after US-Iran peace negotiations in Islamabad collapsed without agreement after a 21-hour marathon session
- The Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed at the time, with the US having announced a naval blockade of Iranian ports effective April 13, 2026
- Both leaders are expected to finalise big-ticket bilateral deals in energy and other sectors in the coming weeks
Static Topic Bridges
India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership
The India-US relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Modi's state visit to the United States in June 2023. The partnership encompasses defence, technology, trade, energy, and people-to-people ties. Key institutional mechanisms include the iCET (initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) and the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
- Partnership elevated during PM Modi's June 2023 state visit to Washington
- Bilateral trade in goods and services surpassed $200 billion in calendar year 2023
- India committed in 2025 to increase annual US energy purchases from $15 billion to $25 billion
- Seven longstanding WTO trade disputes between India and the US were settled in 2023
- iCET launched in 2023 to deepen cooperation on semiconductors, AI, space, and defence co-production
Connection to this news: The frequent phone calls between the two leaders reflect the deepened strategic relationship, and the upcoming energy deals represent direct implementation of the 2023 partnership commitments.
Strait of Hormuz — Critical Maritime Chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway approximately 30 miles (48 km) wide at its narrowest point, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and then to the Indian Ocean. It is the world's most important oil chokepoint. Any disruption to this strait has immediate and severe consequences for global energy supply.
- In 2024, approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day flowed through the strait — about 20% of global petroleum consumption
- 84% of crude oil and condensate and 83% of LNG passing through went to Asian markets in 2024
- China, India, Japan, and South Korea are the top destination countries — together accounting for 69% of all Hormuz crude flows
- India's crude oil import dependence stands at 87.8% (FY 2023-24); Indian refiners import significant volumes from Gulf producers
- The IMO has designated a Traffic Separation Scheme with two 2-mile-wide shipping lanes
Connection to this news: India's energy security is directly at stake when the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted — India was among the largest buyers of oil transiting the strait in 2024, making diplomatic engagement to keep it open a core national interest.
India-Iran Relations and Energy Dependence
India has historically maintained strategic ties with Iran, including as a buyer of Iranian crude oil. Iran is also the gateway to Central Asia through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), and India has invested in the Chabahar Port in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province as a trade corridor bypassing Pakistan.
- India imported significant volumes of Iranian crude before US sanctions were tightened post-2018; imports effectively halted under US sanctions
- Chabahar Port: India's strategic investment on Iran's Gulf of Oman coast; a key node of INSTC connecting India to Russia and Central Asia via Iran
- INSTC: 7,200 km multimodal route connecting India (Mumbai) → Iran → Azerbaijan/Central Asia → Russia; reduces freight time compared to Suez Canal route
- India's neutral diplomatic posture on the Iran-US conflict reflects its balancing act between energy/strategic interests in Iran and its Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the US
Connection to this news: India's call for keeping the Strait open is not just about energy transit — it also reflects concerns about the broader India-Iran strategic axis, including Chabahar and INSTC, which are threatened by regional military escalation.
Key Facts & Data
- Strait of Hormuz width at narrowest point: approximately 30 miles (48 km)
- Oil through Hormuz in 2024: ~20 million barrels/day (~20% of global petroleum consumption)
- India's crude oil import dependence: 87.8% in FY 2023-24
- India-US bilateral trade: over $200 billion (2023)
- India's committed US energy purchases: $25 billion/year (target announced 2025)
- US naval blockade of Iranian ports began: April 13, 2026
- This was the third Trump-Modi phone call in 2026
- US-Iran Islamabad talks: 21 hours, April 12, 2026 — collapsed without agreement