Defense Minister Rajnath Singh presided over a meeting on the evolving situation in the Middle East on Tuesday morning. Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, three service chiefs, DRDO Chairman Dr Samir Kamat and others were present in the meeting.
On 21 March, while addressing a program in Haldwani, Uttarakhand to mark the completion of four years of the state government, Singh said that India had taken a clear stand on the issue and stressed that a solution should be found through dialogue and diplomacy.
Noting that the world is going through a period of crisis where conflicts are prevalent in several regions, he said that the ongoing attacks in the Middle East are worrying not only India but the entire world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to make a statement in the Rajya Sabha today on several aspects of the ongoing conflict and India’s energy security.
The conflict in West Asia entered its fourth week, disrupting trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions escalated after the killing of Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28.
In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries, causing further disruption to the waterway and affecting international energy markets as well as global economic stability.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Lok Sabha to brief members on developments in West Asia and their potential impact on India. Prime Minister Modi described the situation as “alarming” and stressed that the ongoing conflict poses unprecedented challenges that are not only economic and national security, but also humanitarian.
“The situation in West Asia is alarming. This conflict has been going on for more than three weeks. It has a serious impact on the global economy and people’s lives, so the world is urging all parties to resolve this conflict soon,” Prime Minister Modi said.
The Prime Minister informed the House that India’s trade relations with war-torn countries in the West Asian region said that a large part of the country’s oil and gas needs were met by the war-torn region.
