Someone is lying about a phone call — and the stakes are higher than you think.
On March 24, PM Modi and President Trump spoke for the first time since US-Israeli strikes on Iran plunged West Asia into crisis. The call covered the Strait of Hormuz, energy security, and India’s scramble to reroute 70% of its crude imports away from a war zone. Meanwhile, India’s Indian Navy escorts were already securing LPG tankers through Hormuz — the operational reality behind the diplomatic call. Routine leader-to-leader diplomacy — until the New York Times reported that Elon Musk was on the line too.
Two unnamed US officials told the NYT that Musk participated. The paper called it “rare for a private citizen to be on a call between heads of state.” It’s unclear whether Musk spoke or why he was there at all.
India’s response wasn’t a diplomatic dodge. It was a wall.
The MEA Denial on the Modi-Trump Phone Call
The MEA didn’t hedge, qualify, or offer a careful non-answer. It issued a flat statement: the March 24 call was “strictly between Narendra Modi and Donald Trump.” No third party. Period.
That’s unusual. Governments facing inconvenient reports typically deflect — “we don’t comment on private diplomatic conversations.” India chose the opposite: a categorical, on-the-record denial that leaves zero room for interpretation. Either the NYT’s US officials are wrong, or India is publicly contradicting a claim that Washington won’t even address.
Because that’s the other detail. The White House declined to comment.
Why a Billionaire on a War Call Matters
Musk isn’t just any private citizen. Starlink is already operational inside Iran, providing internet access during the conflict — making Musk a de facto actor in the very crisis Modi and Trump were discussing. Congress demanded an explanation for why a businessman would sit in on a call about India’s energy security and regional stability.
India’s denial isn’t just about protocol. It’s a signal: New Delhi doesn’t want to normalize billionaires sitting in on wartime diplomacy between sovereign nations. Whether Musk was on the call or not, the fact that anyone believes he could have been tells you how far the lines between private power and public statecraft have already blurred. Trump has shown willingness to grant India Trump’s energy diplomacy on Russian gas — suggesting the call may have surfaced similar requests.
Musk hasn’t said a word. The White House won’t confirm or deny. India says it didn’t happen. And two US officials told America’s most prominent newspaper that it did. One of these versions will age very badly.
See also Modi’s India’s energy security meeting where similar concerns were reviewed.