PM Modi Congratulates Trump on Gaza Breakthrough, Pushes for Trade Revival
India-US ties warm with trade progress and Gaza deal nod.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump held a pivotal phone call on Thursday, signaling a thaw in strained India-U.S. relations as they hailed “good progress” in trade talks and celebrated Trump’s historic Gaza peace plan. Modi, posting on X, called Trump a “friend” and congratulated him on the Gaza deal, which saw a ceasefire take effect hours earlier, freeing 20 Israeli hostages. The leaders, in their second call in a month, vowed to stay in “close touch” to fast-track a bilateral trade deal’s first tranche by autumn’s end.
The Gaza breakthrough, with Hamas agreeing to release hostages and Israel withdrawing from parts of Gaza, earned Modi’s praise as a step toward “enhanced humanitarian assistance.” He reiterated India’s anti-terrorism stance in a parallel call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. The trade focus, however, marks a shift from June’s low point, when a heated G7 summit call over India-Pakistan tensions led to Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian exports, a $100,000 H-1B visa fee, 6,000 student visa cancellations, and the scrapping of India’s Chabahar port waiver. Trump’s cozying up to Pakistan’s leadership and trade advisor Peter Navarro’s “Modi’s war” jab on Ukraine further soured ties.
A September birthday call for Modi’s 75th sparked the thaw, bolstered by the Senate’s confirmation of Sergio Gor as the new U.S. Ambassador to India. Despite India’s red lines on agriculture and dairy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal signaled optimism for a deal prioritizing electronics, gems, and pharma. With $190 billion in annual trade at stake, the leaders’ weekly check-in pledge aims to navigate U.S. shutdown risks and India’s regional priorities. As Modi juggles Bihar polls and Trump eyes midterms, this renewed rapport could reshape Indo-Pacific dynamics—or stumble if tariffs linger.
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