New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi Saturday and agreed to deepen defence and trade cooperation, as the two countries sought to steady a relationship that has grown strained in the 17 months since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Rubio—on his first visit to India as Secretary of State—flew into Kolkata Saturday morning before travelling to the capital for the meeting.
He handed Modi a personal invitation from Trump for a visit to the White House in the “near future”, the US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced on X.
India’s statement on the Rubio-Modi meeting said the Secretary of State briefed the Prime Minister on “sustained progress in bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including defence, strategic technologies, trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, education and people-to-people ties”.
It added: “Prime Minister reaffirmed India’s consistent support for peace efforts and reiterated the call for peaceful resolution of the conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.”
PM Modi, in a post on X, said he was “happy” to receive the US Secretary of State.
“We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and the United States will continue to work closely for the global good,” Modi wrote.
Happy to receive the US Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio.
We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security.
India and the United States will continue to work closely for… pic.twitter.com/CuD0DdDXB7
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2026
The Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that has been effectively closed since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran and triggered a West Asia war, was central to discussions.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement: “The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed the current situation in the Middle East. The Secretary emphasised that the United States will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that U.S. energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply.”
Tehran’s control over transit through the Strait of Hormuz since February-end has particularly hit India, which relies heavily on West Asia for oil and gas supplies. A fragile ceasefire holds at the moment, but there’s no consensus among the warring sides on ending the Strait’s blockade and hostilities.
About 24 Indian merchant vessels were stranded in the waterway at the outset of the war. Iran has since allowed several to pass, but at least 10 remain stranded.
Rubio, speaking at the inauguration of a new annexe to the US Embassy in New Delhi, called India a “cornerstone” of Washington’s Indo-Pacific policy and pointed to the “personal relationship” between Modi and Trump as the foundation of bilateral ties. Gor said on X that India was a “vital partner” to the US.
Great to join @SecRubio for a meeting with Prime Minister @narendramodi. We had a productive discussion on ways to deepen U.S.-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies – areas that strengthen both our nations and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.… pic.twitter.com/0bO3d7jYTa
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) May 23, 2026
Yet the visit comes against a complicated backdrop.
Washington has grown closer to Islamabad—Pakistan is currently the main intermediary between the US and Iran—and Trump has publicly praised Pakistani Chief of Defence Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on multiple occasions.
The future of the QUAD grouping also hangs in the air.
The four-nation grouping—India, the US, Japan and Australia—was elevated to leaders-level summits under former US president Joe Biden, but no such summit has been held since September 2024. India holds the current chairmanship.
Rubio sought to address doubts about American commitment, noting that his first official act after taking office on 21 January 2025 was a meeting with QUAD foreign ministers.
Questions about Washington’s posture have deepened since Trump travelled to Beijing from 13 to 15 May for extensive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping—signalling a different approach to managing the US-China relationship than his predecessor.
Rubio is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Sunday for bilateral talks, visit Jaipur and Agra Monday, and attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Tuesday.
Also Read: As Washington reopens to China, it’s closing the door on India