March 24, New Delhi – External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump paused strikes on Iran’s power plants for five days.
In a social media post, Dr. Jaishankar said their detailed discussions focused on the West Asia conflict and its impact on the international economy. Both leaders particularly discussed concerns about energy security.
This is the External Affairs Minister’s first phone conversation with the US Secretary of State since the war in West Asia began on February 28.
They last met in early February, when Minister Jaishankar had visited Washington, DC for the ministerial meeting on critical minerals.
The talks came a day before US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby was visiting India.
On Monday, the External Affairs Minister also met with the ambassadors of Gulf Cooperation Council countries in New Delhi. The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. They exchanged views on the conflict in West Asia.
EAM Jaishankar also thanked them for their continued support to the Indian community in the region. On Monday, he also spoke with the foreign ministers of Germany and Sri Lanka.
Photo 1: File/External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC on Wednesday, February 04, 2026.
Photo 2: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets ambassadors of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and exchanges views on the conflict in West Asia, in New Delhi on Monday, March 23, 2026.