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India’s repeated denial of US mediation in ending the four-day India-Pakistan conflict after the Pahalgam incident has come under scrutiny after a report revealed that a lobbying firm engaged by New Delhi made hectic calls to senior US officials on May 10.

A report by The Hindu, citing filings submitted under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), shows that SHW Partners LLC – a Washington DC-based lobbying firm engaged by the Indian Embassy made a series of calls to senior US officials on May 10, 2025, as the conflict de-escalated.

While the filings do not clarify whether the calls were placed before or after the ceasefire, they “indicate close interaction on the day,” the report stated.

The details state that the Indian Embassy contacted US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, National Security Council official Ricky Gill, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles through SHW Partners LLC to coordinate media coverage of the clash. 

Despite repeated claims by US President Donald Trump and public acknowledgement of Mr. Gill’s role in reducing tensions by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the action seems to contradict New Delhi’s continuous stance that the US had no mediatory role.

The call to Mr. Greer, specifically to mention Operation Sindoor, is especially noteworthy, according to the report, as India’s External Affairs Ministry has consistently denied President Trump’s claims that he threatened to stop trade unless conflict stopped.

The FARA filings have sparked concern in New Delhi’s diplomatic circles, particularly as SHW Partners LLC also claimed credit for arranging meetings with senior Indian officials and prominent Trump administration officials over the previous year. 

These included Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra, Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

On April 24, 2025, the Indian Embassy formally contracted SHW Partners LLC a contract. On May 2, a private media outlet reported that New Delhi had paid $150,000 a month to hire the firm led by former Trump adviser Jason Miller as a registered foreign agent. 

Under an annual contract worth $1.8 million, the firm got $900,000 in two quarterly instalments and reported no other clients during the year.

The Hindu was informed by both current and former Indian authorities that this arrangement marks a departure from established practice. 

They claimed that although lobbyists are typically consulted by embassies for political advice and party outreach, this is the first time a firm has been assigned the responsibility of directly arranging meetings and scheduling official phone calls with US government officials. 

“Such meetings are routinely sought by the mission directly,” at least two Indian officials were quoted as saying.

A former diplomat, who previously served at the Indian Embassy in Washington, described the shift as telling. “This seems to indicate that the Trump administration has set new rules of engagement and the government has been left with little choice but to play along,” he said.

The Indian Embassy, however, defended the engagement, with a spokesperson stating that hiring lobbying firms was consistent with long-standing local practice. 

“The Indian Embassy has hired such firms, consistent with local practice and requirements, under successive governments since the 1950s,” the spokesperson said.

Another official quoted by The Hindu said lobbyists are retained primarily “for advice and to understand the landscape,” adding that direct engagement between diplomats remains the norm.

In addition to the calls on May 10, the filings reveal that SHW Partners LLC charged the Embassy for helping a legislative delegation headed by opposition leader Shashi Tharoor request meetings, including efforts to arrange meetings with US Vice-President J.D. Vance.

The firm claimed to have emailed requests for meetings with Mr. Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe on June 23, 2025, just days before Mr. Jaishankar’s trip to Washington for the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting. 

Half of the 60 FARA entries that were submitted asked for phone conversations to discuss the status of US-India trade negotiations with key White House and trade officials. 

Following Washington’s decision to impose 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods, followed by an additional 25 percent penalty linked to India’s oil purchases, the frequency of these calls increased dramatically as relations deteriorated.

As tensions eased and President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged conciliatory messages on social media, SHW Partners LLC reported making further calls to White House officials to “flag” Mr Modi’s posts.

US President Donald Trump has said Venezuela would hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, adding that the proceeds from the sale would be controlled by the US. 

The development signals that the Venezuelan government is responding to Trump’s demand to open its oil sector to US companies.

In a post on truth social, Trump said Venezuela would be “turning over” sanctioned oil that would be sold at market price. “This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” he wrote.

Trump said US Energy Secretary Chris Wright would oversee the process, adding that the oil would be taken from ships and transported directly to US ports. He also said he wanted interim President Delcy Rodriguez to provide US authorities and private companies “total access” to Venezuela’s oil industry.

Venezuela has millions of barrels of crude stored in tanks and on vessels that it has been unable to export due to a US blockade imposed in mid-December. The restrictions were part of broader pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro, which escalated over the weekend when US forces launched strikes in the country.

Venezuelan officials have accused the United States of attempting to seize the country’s oil reserves. The government and state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela did not comment on Trump’s statement.

Supplying the oil to the US could require diverting shipments originally intended for China, which has been Venezuela’s largest buyer over the past decade, particularly after Washington imposed sanctions in 2020 on companies involved in the oil trade with Caracas. 

US crude prices fell more than 1.5 percent following the announcement. Current Venezuelan oil exports to the United States are handled by Chevron, PDVSA’s joint venture partner, under a US authorisation. Chevron has been shipping between 100,000 and 150,000 barrels per day and remains the only company loading Venezuelan crude without interruption during the blockade.

It remains unclear whether Venezuela would receive any share of the proceeds. Sanctions bar PDVSA from the global financial system, freeze its bank accounts and prevent transactions in US dollars. Venezuela has been selling its Merey crude at a discount of about $22 per barrel below Brent, placing the value of the proposed transfer at up to $1.9 billion.

Officials from both countries have discussed possible sales mechanisms, including auctions for US buyers and licences for PDVSA’s partners, which in the past allowed companies to receive or resell Venezuelan oil. 

US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said increased Venezuelan oil flows would be “great news” for jobs and fuel prices, adding that “with American technology, American partnership, Venezuela can be transformed.”