ISLAMABAD (Aug 9, 2025) – A reportedly tense 35-minute phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-June has dramatically altered the course of U.S.–India relations, according to Bloomberg and other media reports.
The conversation, held after Trump left the G7 summit in Canada, was marked by sharp disagreements over the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the “Operation Sindoor” clashes in May. Trump asserted credit for brokering the truce, warning it had averted a potential nuclear confrontation. Modi, however, firmly rebuffed the claim, emphasizing that the ceasefire was brokered directly between New Delhi and Islamabad at Pakistan’s request—and insisting that India “does not and will never accept mediation.”
Relations soured further when Indian officials learned of Trump’s plan to host Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House—an invitation seen by New Delhi as conferring legitimacy on the military. In response, Modi declined a stopover at the White House, citing a prior commitment in Croatia.
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The fallout was swift and severe. The U.S. sharply increased tariffs on Indian goods—raising them to 50%—in response to India’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil. Trump publicly attacked India’s economy, labeling it “dead” and faulting its trade policies. Analysts warn these developments jeopardize decades of strategic partnership and may push India closer to China and Russia.