<h1>India-US ties: ministers discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation and defence, agreeing to stay in touch.</h1> Senior India and US officials held a telephone conversation agreeing to remain in contact to advance cooperation on trade, critical minerals, nuclear energy, defence and energy, set against ongoing bilateral trade negotiations and recent US tariff measures that have strained commercial ties; Indian sources judged a new tariff on trade with Iran to have minimal impact due to low trade volumes.