Key facts
- Priyanka Gandhi urged PM Modi to discuss the killing of Indian seafarers with President Donald Trump at the G7 Summit.
- Three Indian seafarers were killed in US attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- India protested the US military strikes to the US Charge d'Affaires.
- US Secretary of State Rubio warned against violating its blockade and illicit transport of Iranian oil.
- Modi and Trump met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France.
- Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the leaders of Canada, the UK and the United Arab Emirates at the summit.
- Modi and Trump will aim to repair strained ties during their first in-person meeting in over a year.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the issue of three Indian seafarers killed in US attacks with President Donald Trump during their meeting at the G7 Summit in France. Modi and Trump are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the G7 gathering, their first in-person discussion in over a year. Gandhi expressed surprise at India's muted response to the deaths of the mariners on commercial ships targeted by the US Navy in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Secretary of State Rubio conveyed to Indian official Jaishankar that any violation of its blockade and illicit transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated that all commercial vessels must comply with orders from US forces to uphold peace and security in the Strait. India had previously summoned US Charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks to protest the lethal strikes on vessels with Indian crew members.
Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Modi is also set to hold bilateral talks with the leaders of Canada, the UK, and the United Arab Emirates. These meetings aim to highlight India’s broadening diplomatic and trade relationships and strengthen its global partnerships and economic standing. The meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed follows Modi's recent visit to Abu Dhabi, where a strategic defense partnership framework was agreed upon. Modi's discussions with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are also significant, following the free trade agreement signed between India and the UK last year.