Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told US President Donald Trump that India didn’t pause Operation Sindoor against Pakistan due to US mediation or a trade deal offer. The PM set the record straight in a telephonic conversation with Trump, since the two leaders couldn’t meet in Canada. PM Modi reiterated India’s stance that the strikes were paused at the request of Pakistan. PM Modi also declined an invitation from President Trump to visit the US after the G7 Summit due to prior commitments. However, PM Modi invited the US President to India for the QUAD Summit.
POTUS @realDonaldTrump called PM @narendramodi.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2025
🎥 Listen to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s statement on the telephone conversation. pic.twitter.com/7TcZHDzXDd
Congress demands all-party meeting
Meanwhile, India’s leading opposition party Congress has demanded an all-party meeting on this issue. The Congress has said the PM must brief political leaders on what he told US President Donald Trump in his telephonic conversation.
Modi-Carney meet
India and Canada have agreed to restore High Commissioners to each other's capitals at an early date. The decision was taken during the meeting between PM Modi and Canada’s newly elected PM, Mark Carney. Sharing the details, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called it the first in “calibrated steps” to restore stability to the “very important relationship.”
Sixth day of Israel-Iran war
The Israel–Iran war has entered its sixth day, with both sides widening their attacks. Iran has claimed to have fired hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes. The attacks followed US President Donald Trump’s demand for "unconditional surrender" by the Islamic Republic.
Also read: Israel wants to make Iran unliveable like Gaza, pre-emptive strikes on nuclear sites just an excuse
FASTag annual pass coming soon
Back home, there's good news for those who travel frequently by road. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, has announced the launch of a FASTag-based annual pass priced at 3,000 rupees. The pass, to be launched on the 15th of August, will be valid for one year from the date of activation or up to 200 trips—whichever comes first.The minister said a dedicated link for activation and renewal of the annual FASTag pass will soon be made available on the Rajmarg Yatra app as well as on the official websites of NHAI and MORTH.
Important Announcement 📢
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) June 18, 2025
🔹In a transformative step towards hassle-free highway travel, we are introducing a FASTag-based Annual Pass priced at ₹3,000, effective from 15th August 2025. Valid for one year from the date of activation or up to 200 trips—whichever comes…
Dalal Street: Another day in the red
Indian equities continued to fall for the second consecutive session. The Sensex dropped two-tenths of a percent, slipping towards 81,000. The Nifty also saw a similar decline, moving further away from 25,000.
