"Call was between PM Modi and President Trump only," says MEA on report of Musk's presence on call between two leaders

A statement by the MEA said, "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 exchange of views on the situation in West Asia."

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday (local time) said that US President Donald Trump shares a strong relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing a recent interaction between the two leaders as "productive".

Responding to ANI's query regarding a report by The New York Times, which suggested that Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the phone call between PM Modi and President Trump that took place on Tuesday, Leavitt said, "President Trump has a great relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and this was a productive conversation."

On Friday, the NYT reported that the Tesla CEO joined the phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump that took place on Tuesday.

According to the NYT, Musk's involvement in the call marks an unusual instance of a private citizen participating in a conversation between two heads of state amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The NYT reported, citing two US officials, that Musk's participation signals an apparent improvement in his relationship with Trump.

The development comes after a fallout between Trump and Musk last summer, following the tech billionaire's exit from a government role where he had been tasked with reducing the federal workforce through the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

However, recent interactions suggest that ties between the billionaire and the US President have since stabilised, as reported by the NYT. (ANI)