The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday rejected claims that billionaire Elon Musk joined the phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump earlier this week.
"We have seen the story. The telephone conversation on 24 March was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only. As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for an exchange of views on the situation in West Asia,” reported ANI, quoting a MEA spokesperson.
On Tuesday, Trump had called Modi to discuss the war with Iran, the first interaction between the two leaders since Israel and the US' military strikes on Iran began on February 28.
Quoting an unnamed US official, the New York Times reported that Musk participated in a phone call, an unusual appearance by a private citizen on a call between two heads of state during a wartime crisis.
The call between Modi and Trump took place after Trump announced a postponement of strikes on Iranian power plants for five days, after giving a 48-hour ultimatum to reopen Hormuz.
After a phone call, in a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said that he received a call from President Trump, and they had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia.
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"India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability."
Trump and Musk had a falling out last year following the billionaire's departure from the government, where he had been tasked with slashing the work force.
The report said it is unclear why Musk was on the call or whether he spoke.
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