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India has signalled a more structured and multi-layered response to the widening West Asia war by combining diplomatic outreach through forums such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation , emergency energy planning at home, tighter maritime monitoring in the Persian Gulf and renewed efforts to protect its vast diaspora in the Gulf region. File Photo: PM NaMo The clearest diplomatic signal came from the conversation between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov , during which the two sides discussed the situation around Iran and underscored the need for its “prompt normalization.”  According to the Russian side, the ministers also backed a role for the SCO and BRICS in de-escalation efforts and in creating conditions for a durable settlement based on “a balance of the legitimate interests of all parties.”  That matters because it shows India is not confining itself to bilateral crisis management but is also looking at mu...

India has activated emergency evacuation and support mechanisms for its citizens stranded in the Gulf as the widening Iran war continues to disrupt aviation routes across the region, with nearly 1,000 Indians departing Doha over the past three days on Qatar Airways flights , according to the Embassy of India in Qatar. File Photo Via fl360aero on X In an advisory issued Monday evening, the embassy said more than 300 Indian passengers flew from Doha to New Delhi earlier in the day , part of an ongoing effort to clear stranded travellers affected by flight disruptions linked to the regional conflict . The embassy said Qatar Airways had cooperated closely with Indian authorities , helping facilitate the departures of Indians who had been stranded in transit or on short-term visits as air routes across the Gulf face operational challenges . Additional flights are being planned to help evacuate more travellers. According to the advisory, three Qatar Airways flights to Delhi, Mumbai and ...

India has ramped up aviation operations to bring back stranded travellers from West Asia as the escalating regional war continues to disrupt airspace across the Gulf and surrounding regions. According to an update issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation , Indian carriers are planning around 50 flights on March 9 from airports across the Gulf to assist passengers attempting to return home amid the rapidly evolving security situation. Ambassador Deepak Mittal at the passport and consular service centre at Al Reem. File Photo: MEA The ministry said it was closely monitoring the airspace environment across West Asia and working with airlines to ensure passenger safety while maintaining orderly flight operations. Passenger movement data from March 7 shows that 51 inbound flights operated by Indian carriers arrived in India carrying 8,175 passengers from the region. Airlines including Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air have been operating services from key Gulf h...

India said it is closely monitoring the evolving crisis across West Asia and the Gulf as the widening war between Iran, the United States and Israel continues to disrupt regional stability and aviation networks, with tens of thousands of Indian nationals already returning home amid the escalating conflict. Image Via: Horizon Reports on X In an official update issued on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs said the government was “continuously monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region,” particularly in relation to the welfare of Indian nationals who had been stranded in the region during transit or short visits as the conflict intensified and airspace closures spread across several countries. The government said Indian citizens in the region have been advised to remain in contact with local authorities and follow the guidance issued by Indian diplomatic missions.  According to the ministry, “all Indian nationals in the region are advised to follow the...

✍️ Written by Saket Suman The widening war involving the United States, Israel and Iran  has marched from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and  has now begun to unfold within India’s extended strategic neighbourhood. The sinking of an Iranian naval vessel near Sri Lanka, missile exchanges across the Gulf, disruptions to energy flows and airspace closures across major aviation hubs have all brought the conflict closer to India’s economic and security periphery. In moments like these, there is always a temptation for countries to claim the moral high ground or issue strong declaratory positions. But for India, the wiser path may lie in something quieter b u t strategically more consequential. Restraint, Vigilance and the careful use of Multilateral Diplomacy.  So far, New Delhi appears to have largely followed that course. File Photo: EAM Jaishankar India’s response to the crisis has been marked less by rhetoric and more by calibra...

The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi on March 5 advised Indian nationals in the United Arab Emirates to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel as the widening war involving the United States, Israel and Iran continues to disrupt regional airspace and civilian movement across the Gulf. In an official advisory issued from Abu Dhabi , the embassy urged Indians in the UAE to remain calm, follow safety guidelines issued by Emirati authorities and monitor official updates.  File Photo: IndiainUAE The advisory said that because of the exceptional circumstances created by the conflict, regular scheduled flight operations remain suspended or heavily restricted in parts of the region. However, the embassy said Indian and UAE airlines have begun limited non-scheduled flights to multiple destinations in India, coordinated with UAE authorities and subject to operational and safety approvals. Stranded Indian nationals have been asked to contact airlines directly to access these flights. The ...

India has issued its first formal condolence over the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar holding a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visiting the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to sign the condolence book on behalf of the Government of India.  Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri visited the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Via: MEA India Jaishankar confirmed the call, while visuals from the embassy showed Misri interacting with the Iranian envoy and recording India’s message of condolence. This marks New Delhi’s first official, government-level gesture since Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Tehran. The condolence step landed amid India’s widening diplomatic engagement across West Asia as the conflict escalates and risks spreading further into the Gulf and the wider region where India has major people-and-supply-cha...

India on Wednesday activated additional emergency coordination mechanisms as the West Asia war intensified, with the Ministry of External Affairs establishing a dedicated control room in New Delhi, maritime authorities creating a rapid-response support team for seafarers, and security restrictions tightening in parts of Kashmir following protests linked to the conflict. File/Representational Photo of senior MEA officials and Indian Ambassadors; Via: EAM Jaishankar In a statement issued March 4, the Ministry of External Affairs said the special control room has been set up to assist Indian nationals affected by the deteriorating security situation across Iran, Israel and the Gulf region.  The facility will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., providing direct contact lines for citizens seeking information, assistance or evacuation guidance as hostilities expand across multiple countries. The government also released emergency contact numbers for Indian embassies and missions ac...

✍️ Written by Saket Suman India’s political divide over the US–Israel–Iran war has sharpened as the Congress and Left parties have accused the Modi government of “silence” and “moral cowardice” over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , while the government has simultaneously expanded high-level outreach to Gulf leaders , activated trade and energy contingency mechanisms , and reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable path to restore regional stability. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in an opinion piece in a mainstream daily, argued that New Delhi’s lack of a clear response to the assassination of Khamenei amounted to an “abdication” rather than neutrality and risked normalising targeted killings as instruments of statecraft.  File Photo; Via: LoP Raga She framed the killing of a sitting leader during a diplomatic process as a rupture in contemporary international relations and...

✍️ Written by Saket Suman India on Tuesday intensified its diplomatic outreach and economic preparedness measures as the West Asia conflict widened, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking to leaders of Oman, Kuwait and Qatar, the External Affairs Minister engaging European counterparts, and key ministries reviewing trade, defence and energy contingencies. File Photo: PM NaMo The outreach followed the Ministry of External Affairs statement earlier in the day reiterating India’s concern over the deteriorating situation across Iran and the Gulf, the safety of nearly one crore Indian nationals in the region, and the need for dialogue and diplomacy to restore stability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman and condemned what he described as the violation of Oman’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said both sides agreed that sustained diplomatic engagement was essential for the earliest restorat...

India on Tuesday urged an early end to the expanding West Asia conflict , warning that the deteriorating security situation across Iran and the Gulf directly affects nearly one crore Indian citizens living and working in the region, as well as India’s trade and energy supply chains. File Photo; Via: FM In a statement issued in New Delhi on March 3, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said India had expressed deep concern at the start of the conflict on February 28 and had called for restraint, de-escalation and prioritization of civilian safety. He said the situation has since “deteriorated significantly and continuously,” even as the holy month of Ramadan is underway. Statement by the Official Spokesperson on the ongoing conflict in the West Asia region ⬇️ https://t.co/s1Qm6xIqbS — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 3, 2026 The spokesperson said the conflict has intensified in recent days and spread to other nations, resulting in mounting destruct...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expanded India’s diplomatic engagement with Gulf leaders as the West Asia conflict deepened, holding separate telephone conversations with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, condemning attacks on both countries and reiterating India’s push for rapid de-escalation amid a widening regional war triggered by U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran.  File Photo Via PM NaMo In statements issued after the calls, Modi said India stood in solidarity with Bahrain following recent attacks and thanked its leadership for safeguarding the Indian community, while discussions with Saudi Arabia focused on restoring regional peace and stability after strikes that New Delhi described as violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The latest outreach forms part of an accelerating diplomatic effort by New Delhi as the conflict spreads beyond Israel and Iran into Gulf states hosting c...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep concern over the rapidly escalating conflict in West Asia, warning that the evolving security situation following U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran has emerged as a major geopolitical and humanitarian challenge, even as India stepped up diplomatic outreach and domestic security monitoring amid fears of wider fallout. PM NaMo chairs an emergency meet of Cabinet Committee On Security (CCS) Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after bilateral talks, Modi said the situation in West Asia was “a matter of grave concern,” underscoring India’s priority of safeguarding its citizens across the conflict-affected region.  He said New Delhi would continue coordinating with regional governments to ensure the safety and welfare of Indians living and working across Gulf nations, where millions of Indian nationals reside. The remarks come days after joint military operations by the United States and Israel struck mul...