Trump to meet Modi in France, White House says

The White House has announced that U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in France on Wednesday. The meeting is set to take place on the sidelines of the G7 summit. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian government regarding this proposed bilateral engagement.

This announcement comes amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and India following recent U.S. military actions against merchant ships in the Gulf of Oman, some of which carried Indian nationals. India had previously summoned the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to register strong protests over these incidents, which resulted in Indian casualties. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke with his American counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to convey India's concerns.

Rubio reportedly defended the U.S. actions, stating that violations of American blockades and the illicit transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated, and emphasized the need for commercial vessels to comply with U.S. forces' instructions. These events have reportedly strained India-U.S. bilateral ties.

Separately, an Indian-flagged dhow, the MSV Virat 1, sank off the coast of Oman due to mechanical failure on Sunday. All 14 crew members were safely rescued and are currently en route to Mumbai. The U.S. Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft played a role in the rescue by dropping a life raft near the distressed vessel.