US President Donald Trump on Wednesday responded to a range of media questions on India-US relations, maritime security and the reported killing of Indian seafarers, during remarks following a bilateral engagement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.

The exchange came after the two leaders met and interacted with the press, where issues spanning defence cooperation, global shipping safety and the Iran conflict were raised by journalists.

Trump hails India-US ties amid defence questions

Responding to questions on India-US defence ties, Trump described the relationship as strong and cooperative, while reiterating assurances of support.

“I think it's a great relationship, I can tell you this,” he said, stressing continued cooperation between the two countries.

“If they (India) were attacked, we would be there to help them. How's that, is it a good statement, OK?” Trump said, making the remark while extending his hand towards Modi during the interaction.

He added a qualifier on leadership continuity. “If anybody attacks that man, we're going to be there. Now if there's a new leader, I'm not sure about it,” he said, referring to Modi.

“If they're attacked and he's the leader, we're going to be there to help,” he added.

Remarks on seafarers’ deaths in US strike

Responding to a question on the reported killing of three Indian seafarers in a US military strike, Trump said maritime work carried inherent risks and placed the incident in a broader historical context.

“It’s a rough profession. This has been happening throughout time. I love all of those people,” he said.

The remarks followed reports that three Indian nationals were killed in a US strike on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman earlier in the week, according to the information cited during the interaction.

Modi raises maritime security concerns in talks

During the bilateral engagement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns regarding the safety of Indian seafarers operating across global maritime trade routes.

He underlined freedom of navigation and said maritime security for Indian workers remained a priority, given their significant presence in global shipping.

“I am confident that in the deal (with Iran), security of seafarers will be ensured and prioritised,” Modi said during the interaction.

Trump responded by indicating cooperation on maritime security and described Modi as “as tough as they come.”

Trump response during media interaction on Iran question

Responding to a Doordarshan reporter’s question on possible peace developments in the Iran conflict, Trump briefly acknowledged the exchange during the press interaction.

“I like this guy… You know who this is? Your reporters are much nicer than ours,” he said while referring to the Indian journalist and addressing Modi during the interaction.

Congress criticism over omission of seafarers’ issue

The Congress party criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not mentioning the killing of three Indian seafarers during his public remarks with US President Donald Trump.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the omission as “pathetic and totally unacceptable”.

He said that while the issue did not feature in the joint public statement after the meeting in Evian, Trump later responded to a question on the matter during the media interaction.

Ramesh stated on X that Modi and Trump gave a public statement following their meeting, but the Prime Minister did not refer to the deaths of the three Indian nationals in the Gulf of Oman after a US strike.

He further said that only Trump took questions from the media and addressed the issue when asked, while Modi did not make any public reference to it in his remarks.