India and France are “working closely together” to de-escalate tensions in West Asia, French President Emmanuel Macron said after talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (March 19, 2026), one of a number of calls Mr Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar made to leaders around the world.
As Israel and Iran stepped up attacks on energy facilities and gas fields in the Persian Gulf region, the government said the targeting of civilian infrastructure was “deeply troubling” and “unacceptable” and called on them to stop.
In the past, New Delhi has condemned Iranian attacks on the Gulf states, but not strikes by the United States and Israel. Just last week, India co-sponsored a UN Security Council resolution that merely condemned Iran’s strikes on its neighbors. However, in a significant shift, the government is now stressing the need to avoid attacks on civilian infrastructure “across the region”.
A major escalation
“The recent attacks against power installations at various places in the region are deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilize the already uncertain energy scenario for the entire world,” MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday, expressing India’s concerns.
The attacks marked a major escalation in the ongoing war in West Asia, with Israeli missiles hitting Iran’s largest gas field in South Pars and Iranian retaliatory strikes targeting Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas plant and oil and gas facilities in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, PM Modi said India stands in solidarity with Qatar, which has suffered heavy losses due to Iranian strikes on gas production facilities in Ras Laffan, and “strongly condemns attacks on the region’s energy infrastructure”.
Telephone diplomacy
In a flurry of phone calls about the worsening situation, the prime minister also spoke with the leaders of Jordan, Malaysia and Oman. Since February 28, Mr Modi has spoken to his counterparts across the Gulf states, Iran and Israel and a number of other leaders, apart from US President Donald Trump.
In addition, Mr. Jaishankar met UAE Minister for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy and spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar by phone. India also engaged all the leaders of the 10-member BRICS grouping, which it chairs this year, although it was unable to produce a consensus statement due to differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, both of which are members.
The absence of a statement from the BRICS is in contrast to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) grouping, which includes Iran but not the UAE. The SCO issued a statement on March 2 condemning the strikes on Iran as well as the ensuing conflict.
“BRICS membership and SCO membership are two different categories. If you look at the members, you will get the answer as to why we are having trouble building consensus,” Mr Jaiswal said in response to a question from The Hindu.
“Dialogue and Diplomacy”
In calls on Thursday, Mr Modi said he had called for a return to “dialogue and diplomacy”. Referring to a phone call with Mr Macron, he said: “We look forward to continuing our close coordination to promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
“India and France are working closely together to reduce tensions in the region and to keep diplomacy at the center of our efforts for peace,” Macron said in a post thanking Mr. Modi for the call. Mr Macron expressed particular concern over Iran’s restriction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s bombing of Lebanon.
Speaking to Jordan’s King Abdullah, Mr Modi said “attacks on energy infrastructure in West Asia are reprehensible acts and could lead to an avoidable escalation”. He added that both India and Jordan support “free flow of goods and energy without any obstacles”.
In an interview with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, the prime minister condemned “the violation of the sovereignty of the Sultanate of Oman and the unity of its territory”, without naming Iran as the source of the strikes on Omani facilities. He added that he and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had a “shared commitment to de-escalation and the early restoration of peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy.”
In his talks with Gulf leaders, Mr. Modi also thanked them for their help in ensuring the safety of Indians in the region, including those who were allowed to return to India.
Published – 19 March 2026 22:56 IST
