A possible meeting next week between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump offers a chance to reset ties following a year of strained relations over tariffs, Pakistan, and now, the Iran war.
US forces this week attacked three Indian-crewed vessels in the Gulf of Oman region, killing at least three sailors and prompting protests from New Delhi.
Modi and Trump would likely want to contain the latest tensions and avoid derailing efforts to get relations back on track after a rocky year, analysts said. The expected meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven leaders’ summit in France next week would be their first face-to-face since a falling out last year following India’s military clash with Pakistan and Trump’s tariffs.
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While it’s important to New Delhi that the US understands the damage that the latest strikes cause, “I don’t think this will spiral out to something bigger,” said Harsh Pant, vice president at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank. “There are bigger issues on the table which both India and US need to handle.”
“In the larger scheme of things, there is understanding that this is a war zone and both sides are likely to discount it,” he said.
The US attacks on the vessels with Indian crew drew strong condemnation from New Delhi on Thursday. “The continuing attacks on shipping are deeply worrisome,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters. “We have lodged a strong protest with the US. It’s our expectation that due note will be taken.”
The vessel attacks come as Trump continues to offer mixed signals about the wind-down of the war. On Thursday, Trump pulled back from a threat of additional strikes on Iran, claiming once more that a deal was close.
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A spokesman for the US Embassy in New Delhi said the US was in direct contact with the Indian government on the vessel strikes.
Next week’s highly anticipated G7 meeting would build on steps taken by India and the US in recent months to repair damaged ties. Last month, Trump dispatched Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a multi-day visit to India, where he met with multiple Indian officials and with envoys from Japan and Australia as part of a security grouping known as the Quad.
The trip, the highest-profile visit by a US official in more than a year, was followed by a visit this month by a US trade team to advance a trade deal the two nations struck in February.
Shortly after New Delhi’s announcement that it had summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks over the vessel strike late Wednesday, Trump posted a message on social media congratulating Modi on his 12-year tenure in office. Modi reciprocated with a warm thanks.
