Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday discussed the ongoing conflict in West Asia. PM Modi reiterated India’s condemnation of attacks on regional energy infrastructure, noting that both sides agreed on the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation and maintaining open and safe shipping lanes.
“He spoke to the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed the ongoing conflict in West Asia. I again condemned the attacks on regional energy infrastructure by India,” PM Modi said on X.
He added: “We agreed on the need to ensure freedom of navigation and keep shipping lanes open and safe. He thanked him for his continued support for the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile
Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it had intercepted a missile hitting the Riyadh area as Iran attacks the kingdom and its Gulf neighbors.
His Ministry of Defense said on X: “A ballistic missile fired towards the Riyadh area was intercepted and destroyed.”
Saudi Arabia asks Iran’s military attaché to leave the country
A few days ago, Saudi Arabia ordered an Iranian diplomat and three members of his team to leave the country as the kingdom and its Gulf neighbors face Iranian strikes in response to US-Israeli attacks, according to ANI.
In a statement condemning “repeated Iranian attacks”, Riyadh said it had decided to declare the military attaché of the Iranian embassy, along with three members of its military mission, as persona non grata. The State Department said they were given 24 hours to depart, according to a message posted on social media.
Meanwhile, in response to the war, Saudi Arabia has begun shipping millions of barrels of oil a day through a major pipeline linking its Gulf Coast energy facilities to export terminals in the Red Sea, AFP reports.
The pipeline, known as the Petroline, has helped ease the effects of the conflict by allowing Saudi Arabia to bypass the now-closed Strait of Hormuz, which once carried about 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Pakistan is ready to host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey for talks on a wide range of issues, including efforts to ease tensions in West Asia amid the ongoing war with Iran, its foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan said it was “actively and constructively engaging” with all stakeholders in the region and beyond to help end the Iran war peacefully.
The conflict began after the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes across Iran, reportedly killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and causing global shock. A month on, there are no signs of abating and Israel has announced new attacks on Tehran.
