The situation in the Middle East is deteriorating rapidly. After US and Israel’s targeted attacks on Iran, Iran has now started openly retaliating. Tehran had earlier warned that if it was attacked, US military bases in the Gulf area would be targeted. Now, there are reports of Iranian missile attacks on US airbases and military sites in Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan.
Experts say that if this fight continues for a long time, it can cause large-scale instability in the Gulf area, which will have a direct impact on the Indian diaspora working there. The Government of India is keeping an eye on the situation and may also consider an emergency plan.
Amidst this increasing military confrontation, the biggest concern is for Indian citizens living in Gulf countries. According to recent estimates, more than 9.3 million Indians live in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. About 3.89 million Indians live in the United Arab Emirates, about 2.65 million in Saudi Arabia, about 1 million in Kuwait, about 8.3 million in Qatar, 6.6 million in Oman and about 3.3 million in Bahrain. All these countries fall in areas where there are US military bases or have been the targets of recent attacks.
Which Gulf countries did Iran attack?
Loud explosions were heard in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Smoke was seen rising in some parts of the city. There is also news of a missile attack on the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet Service Base in Bahrain. Bahraini officials confirmed that the base was targeted in the attack.
Iran says – no more red line
A Qatari Defense Ministry official said an Iranian missile was shot down by a Patriot air defense system. This shows that the US and its allied military systems deployed in the Gulf countries are fully activated. A senior Iranian official has said that all US and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East are now “legitimate targets”. “There is no red line left after this aggression and every option is on the table,” he said.
