US President Donald Trump ?and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed ?the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure in a call on Tuesday, ?Modi said in a post on X. The ?call between the two leaders lasted nearly ?40 minutes, Indian media, which first reported ?the call, said. "Received a call from my ?friend President Donald Trump.

We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors," Modi ?said on X. "We are committed to further ?strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. ?We ?also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure."

The conflict in ?the Middle ?East has ?disrupted sectors from air travel to shipping and gas supplies, including ?by the near-closure of the Strait ?of ?Hormuz, which serves as a conduit for 40% of India's crude oil imports. A White House official ?confirmed ?the call took place ?but did not comment further. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)