The government on Saturday refuted a media report that billionaire Elon Musk joined a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump this week, with the external affairs ministry saying only the two leaders participated in the conversation.
The New York Times reported that Musk participated in the phone call between Trump and Modi on Tuesday, describing it as an “unusual appearance by a private citizen on a call between two heads of state during a wartime crisis.”
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal acknowledged the report and said: “The telephone conversation on March 24 was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only.”
He added, “As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for exchange of views on the situation in West Asia.”
People familiar with the matter said the PM spoke only to Trump. “There was no one else who spoke to the PM,” one person said.
The US side will have to confirm whether Musk was present during the call, the people said.
The report by The New York Times further said Musk’s inclusion in the phone call, which was confirmed by two unnamed US officials, suggested that the “world’s richest man is back on better terms with” Trump following a falling out last summer. Musk, who was tasked by Trump to slash the US government’s workforce, had departed from the administration. Trump and Musk “appear to have smoothed things over in recent months,” the report stated.
The report also said it was “unclear why Mr Musk was on the call or whether he spoke.”
During the phone call, which was initiated by Trump, Modi emphasised that India backs the restoration of peace in West Asia at the earliest and wants to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and secure for the global community. Trump had called Modi to discuss the situation in the Gulf region amid growing concerns about energy, food, and fuel security.
This was the first phone conversation between the two leaders since Israel and the US’s military strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered a conflict that is now in its fourth week. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz impacting supplies of fuel and other commodities, the Indian side has reached out to Iran, Israel, all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the US to find ways to end the hostilities.
Modi had said on social media that he and Trump had a “useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia.” He said the two sides would stay in touch “regarding efforts towards peace and stability.”
The phone call was announced on social media by US ambassador Sergio Gor, who said Trump spoke with Modi to discuss the “importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.”
