Elon Musk joined Trump-Modi phone call: Report

Billionaire Elon Musk joined the phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump earlier this week, the New York Times reported. Trump had called Modi to discuss the war with Iran on Tuesday, the first interaction between the two leaders since Israel and the US' military strikes on Iran began on February 28. “Elon Musk participated in a phone call on Tuesday with President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, an unusual appearance by a private citizen on a call between two heads of state during a wartime crisis,” the New York Times reported quoting unnamed US officials.
The inclusion of Musk, who holds no official government role, stood out given the sensitivity of discussions between world leaders, particularly during an active conflict. It remains unclear why Musk was included or whether he actively participated in the discussion. His presence suggests he may be on better terms with the president, after they fell out last summer following Musk’s departure from government.
The conversation between Trump and Modi was the first between the two leaders since Israel and the US’s military strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered a conflict that has entered its fourth week. India had reached out to Iran, Israel, all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the US, to find ways to end the hostilities following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Musk has mostly been silent on the conflict in West Asia on X. He responded to a post that questioned why so many countries relied on the Strait of Hormuz as part of their global supply chains, saying “We got lazy.” Prior to the war, Musk’s Starlink technology was vital on the ground in Iran during the Islamic Republic’s internet blackouts. The Trump administration reportedly smuggled thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran following the regime’s violent crackdown on demonstrations in January.