New Delhi: Briefing Parliament on the Iran conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the government was making every effort to bring
back Indians stranded in West Asia. He added that India remains in favour of peace and supports a return to dialogue and diplomacy, while advocating de-escalation, restraint and the safety of civilians.
Jaishankar said the government has been continuously assessing the situation in West Asia since the conflict began and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring developments in the region.
“The Prime Minister continues to closely monitor the emerging developments, and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure effective responses,” the minister said.
Ongoing conflict of particular concern to India
Jaishankar told Parliament that the ongoing conflict in the Gulf is of particular concern to India.
“We are a neighbouring region and have obvious stakes in ensuring that West Asia remains stable. There are around one crore Indians who live and work in the Gulf countries. In Iran too, there are a few thousand Indians there for study or employment,” he said.
“The region is key to our energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas. Serious supply chain disruptions and a climate of instability are major concerns,” he added.
Jaishankar also said that contacts with Iran at the leadership level were difficult at this time, but he had spoken with the Iranian foreign minister.
Iran thanked India over IRIS Lavan
“Iran’s foreign minister has expressed his country’s thanks to India for the humanitarian gesture of permitting the Iranian warship IRIS Lavan to dock at Kochi port,” he said.
“The conflict has continued to intensify, and the security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly. The conflict has spread to other countries with mounting destruction. Normal life and activities in the region are visibly affected,” he added.
The situation in West Asia has been worsening as Iran launches attacks on Gulf countries, targeting energy infrastructure. The strikes on neighbouring countries have come even as the Iranian president, in a televised address, apologised to the countries over the attacks.
