‘Has been happening throughout time’: Trump on deaths of three Indian seafarers

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that seafarers have a “rough profession” when asked if he had a message of condolence for the families of three Indian sailors who were killed in US military strikes on commercial ships in West Asia last week.

“This has been happening throughout time,” Trump said at a press briefing during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We love all of those people.”

The comment came a week after three Indians were killed and dozens evacuated when the US military repeatedly struck commercial ships in West Asia for allegedly violating sanctions and the blockade amid the conflict in the region. New Delhi had at the time twice summoned US’ chargé d’affaires to register a protest.

At the meeting on Wednesday, Modi told Trump that the safety of Indian seafarers was of “utmost importance” to the country.

He congratulated the US president for the “progress made to restore peace” in West Asia. The Strait of Hormuz remaining open is crucial for the global economy, the prime minister told Trump.

Since the conflict began, the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, has effectively been blocked for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis.

“Lakhs of Indian seafarers are performing their duties across global maritime trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, and their safety is of utmost importance to us,” Modi said.

Modi told Trump that he “was confident that the issue of seafarers will receive the highest priority” during the implementation of the US’ peace agreement with Iran.

Trump said that “a lot of things were happening” between the US and India, including a trade deal.

He also said that the US will help India if it was attacked, adding that the defence relations between New Delhi and Washington “were great”.

“Without having a contract – we don’t have a contract – but if they were attacked, we would be there to help them...” Trump said. “If anybody attacks that man [Modi], we’re going to be...If there’s a new leader, I don’t know about that.”

While answering a reporter’s question about the war in Ukraine, Trump repeated his claim that he had ended eight conflicts. Trump has previously, on several occasions, counted the India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025 as one of the wars he had mediated an end to. New Delhi has repeatedly rejected Trump’s claims.

Modi and Trump met at the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France. India is an invitee at the event.

This was the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders since February 2025, when Modi had visited Washington.

Strained ties

The meeting also came as the trade deal between India and the US hangs in balance.

After an interim bilateral trade deal was agreed on February 2, US tariffs on India goods would have been reduced to 18% from a combined rate of 50%. The earlier rate of 50% had included a punitive levy of 25% imposed in August over India’s purchase of Russian oil.

However, negotiations on the final deal were postponed after the US Supreme Court on February 20 struck down Trump’s global tariffs, ruling that he had exceeded his authority.

In response, Trump imposed a temporary 10% tariff on goods imported into the US, citing his authority under the 1974 Trade Act. The new tariff rate is for a maximum of 150 days, unless the US Congress approves an extension.

On February 21, the US president said that he was increasing the tariffs to the “fully allowed, and legally tested” level of 15% from 10% with immediate effect. However, it is unclear as to when the increased tariff rate would take effect.

This has left the status of US’ trade deals with countries, including India, unclear.

On June 4, Trump said that the two sides would soon reach the trade agreement, while claiming that New Delhi had for years “taken advantage” of Washington but the relationship had been reversed.

The diplomatic relations between India and the US have been frosty for more than a year.

On July 30, Trump had described India as among “dead economies”. In September, after Modi travelled to China for a multilateral summit for the first time in seven years, Trump remarked that India appeared to have been “lost to deepest, darkest China”.

Written by Nachiket Deuskar. Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.