PM Modi to meet Trump in France amid G7 summit, White House says, as tensions rise after death of three sailors | Today’s news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Donald Trump in France, the White House announced on Saturday (local time).
The meeting between the two leaders will take place on the sidelines of the G7 summit, which is scheduled for next week. According to the US President’s itinerary for his upcoming visit to France, his meeting with Prime Minister Modi will take place on June 17.
The meeting comes as tensions between the US and India have risen days after three Indian sailors lost their lives off the coast of Oman in an attack by the US Navy.
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Three Indian sailors were killed when the US Navy attacked the Palau-flagged vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman, claiming it violated the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
India summoned the US chargé d’affaires to formally protest the US Navy’s actions that resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors, the first confirmation of direct attacks on vessels carrying Indian nationals.
The US government, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stressed the need for all commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to comply with the orders of US forces to maintain security and peace.
Prime Minister Modi and President Trump are expected to discuss trade ties, energy cooperation and the H-1B visa issue during their meeting at the G7 summit in France.
After the deadly attacks on Indian vessels, India may have to reassess its strategic partnership with the US, especially with regard to public opinion and the safety of its citizens at sea.
Read also | Vessels should submit to US blockade: Rubio to Jaishankar
Strained relations between India and the US?
Earlier this week, three commercial vessels with Indian crew members were attacked off the coast of Oman, and three sailors lost their lives in one of the incidents on Wednesday. The attack comes as Washington continues to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports after the Islamic Republic refused to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that has been effectively closed by Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since the start of the US-Israeli war in late February.
Following the death of three Indian sailors, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) lodged a strong protest. On Friday, the MEA summoned US chargé d’affaires Jason Meeks to protest the attacks, the first public acknowledgment that the US Navy had directly launched attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian nationals.
Read also | The MEA summoned the US chargé d’affaires a day after the attack on the commercial vessel
A few hours later, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in protest. In a post on X, he wrote: “I spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. I reiterated India’s strong protest against US Navy attacks in the Persian Gulf that killed three Indian sailors,” adding: “Such deadly actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”
US State Department Deputy Chief Spokesman Tommy Pigott said on Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the need for all commercial vessels to follow instructions issued by US forces as they work to maintain security and stability in the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio made the remarks while speaking to S Jaishankar on Friday.
A statement from the State Department read: “US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar yesterday. The two leaders discussed recent events in the Strait of Hormuz. The minister stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with the orders of US forces as they seek to maintain peace and security in the Strait. He stressed that violations of the US oil embargo will not be tolerated.”
Read also | India says US attack on ships off Oman “must cease and desist”, protests
PM Modi to attend G7 Summit in France
Earlier today, PM Modi left for a week-long tour of France and Slovakia. In his exit statement, the prime minister said France occupies a “special place in India’s strategic vision”.
In a post on X, he wrote: “Over the next few days I will be in France and Slovakia to attend various programmes, including bilateral talks, multilateral engagements and interaction with the Indian diaspora. Emphasis will be on strengthening economic and cultural ties.”
In a separate post, he wrote, “On June 16-17, I will be in Evian to attend the G7 Summit. I will be interacting with various world leaders and discussing a wide range of topics. India will always focus on expressing the aspirations of the Global South.”
Modi-Trump meeting
Citing sources, Reuters reported on Wednesday that Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold talks on “trade ties, energy cooperation as well as the H-1B visa issue”.
The US and India are also tense over US tariffs on Indian goods and Trump’s repeated claims, which India denies, that he intervened to end India’s brief conflict with Pakistan last year. Since May 2025, when a four-day military confrontation broke out between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, the US president has repeatedly claimed to have brokered a ceasefire.
Read also | US, India seek $500bn trade amid ‘maximum pressure’ on Russia: Jacob Helberg
But recent high-level engagement, including Rubio’s visit to India last month, has helped ease some tensions, with the two sides discussing trade, visas, maritime security, energy supplies and the Middle East.
