PM gets White House invite as Marco Rubio pitches for US energy amid Iran war
The three-day visit to India by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio comes at a time when ties between India and the US under Trump 2.0 have continued to fluctuate amid trade tensions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held crucial talks on security and trade with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who in turn extended him an invitation to the White House on behalf of Donald Trump. The three-day visit to India by Rubio comes at a time when ties between India and the US under Trump 2.0 have continued to fluctuate amid trade and energy tensions, which have only deepened amid the Iran conflict.
US envoy Sergio Gor, who joined Rubio for the meeting with PM Modi, said the talks also spanned the Indo-Pacific, where China has sought to assert its strength. India has always been viewed by the US as a counterbalance to China in the crucial region.
"We had a productive discussion on ways to deepen US-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies... India is a vital partner to the United States!" Gor tweeted. He also said that PM Modi was invited to the White House in the "near future".
In the meeting, Rubio also pitched for US energy products, saying it had the potential to diversify India's energy supply. It comes amid mounting concerns for India, which imports 80% of its crude oil needs, as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to affect energy flows.
"The US will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage," Rubio told PM Modi. The energy pitch comes as the US, which took control of Venezuela's oil industry following the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro, appears eager to push Venezuelan crude back onto the global market.
WHAT PM MODI SAID ON MEETING WITH RUBIO?
PM Modi, in his post on X, added that issues related to regional and global peace and security were also discussed, indicating that the Iran conflict was among the topics that came up.
The timing is crucial amid reports that Trump was considering relaunching strikes on Iran after talks for a peace deal, which is being mediated by Pakistan, failed to bear any fruit.
"We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security," PM Modi tweeted.
"India and the United States will continue to work closely for the global good," he further said.
The Prime Minister last met Trump in February 2025, when he became one of the first world leaders to visit the White House following the eccentric Republican's return to office. Trump called PM Modi a "great friend", and the duo pledged to double US-India trade to $500 billion by 2030.
However, ties reached a nadir in the following months as Trump imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India over its continued purchase of Russian oil - a move that the White House claimed was funding Moscow's war machine against Ukraine. The strain in ties was tacitly used by Pakistan to warm up to Trump by massaging his ego.
A turnaround came in February this year after India and the US reached a trade deal framework. Trump also cut tariffs on Indian imports to 18%. However, the Iran war and the Middle East turmoil have delayed the signing of a formal trade deal.
In this one year, as ties see-sawed between the US and India, PM Modi and Trump have somehow not managed to cross paths at major global summits. However, the big meeting may happen as early as next month on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, where PM Modi has been invited as a special invitee.
IMPORTANCE OF RUBIO'S VISIT
Against this backdrop, the visit by Rubio, after Trump's largely unsuccessful visit to China, is being seen as an attempt to repair relations and bridge the gap. The chill in ties was visible as Rubio was greeted at the Delhi airport by a low-ranking MEA official, and no senior ministers were present.
Interestingly, Rubio made Kolkata his first port of call, visiting Mother House, the headquarters of Saint Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. The visit was the first by any top US official to Kolkata in 14 years. Hillary Clinton, the then US Secretary of State, visited Kolkata in 2012. After a brief three-hour visit, Rubio departed for Delhi.
The US Secretary of State will also attend a meeting of Quad foreign ministers (India, US, Japan, Australia) on May 26, signalling a revival of the grouping that has been put on the backburner by Trump. The same Trump was bullish on the Quad in his first term.
It remains to be seen if Rubio's visit generates any tangible breakthrough as Washington tries to reinforce its partnership with New Delhi.