US-India trade route will include Israel, Trump says

The aim of the route was to link "our allies with ports, railways, and undersea cables," Trump noted.

 U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (photo credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.
(photo credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The US-India trade route will operate through Israel, US President Donald Trump stated during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday.

Trump stated that the route will run "from India to Israel to Italy, and onwards to the United States."

The aim of the route is to link the US' allies "with ports, railways, and undersea cables," Trump noted.

Trump added that the US and India will work on "one of the greatest trade routes in history."

Countering Chinese influence

According to Israel's public broadcaster KAN, the route is part of attempts made by India and the US to minimize Chinese influence on trade routes.   

An Israeli flag [Ilustrative] (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)Enlrage image
An Israeli flag [Ilustrative] (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

According to KAN, it is also an attempt to counter China's development strategy dubbed the "Belt and Road Initiative."