The Government of India has called an all-party meeting on March 25 (Wednesday) at 5 pm to discuss the West Asia crisis.
This morning, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting to review India’s defense preparedness in the wake of recent global and regional security incidents.
CDS General Anil Chauhan, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Chairman Sameer Kamat and others were also present in the meeting.
The conflict in West Asia has entered its fourth week, disrupting trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Tension further escalated after the assassination of Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28.
In response, Iran targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries, causing further disruption of the waterway and affecting international energy markets as well as global economic stability.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to give a statement in the Rajya Sabha today on several aspects of the ongoing conflict and India’s energy security.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the Lok Sabha, informed the members about the developments in West Asia and their possible impact on India. He described the situation as “worrying”.
He stressed that the current conflict presents unprecedented challenges that are not only economic and national security but also humanitarian.
The Prime Minister highlighted the global challenges posed by conflict and India’s trade relations with war-torn West Asian countries and said most of the country’s crude oil and gas requirements are met from the war-torn region. The opposition parties called it a “classic example of self-aggrandizement and partisan rhetoric”.
Prime Minister Modi said, “The situation in West Asia is worrying. This conflict has been going on for more than three weeks. It is having a serious impact on the global economy and people’s lives, and that is why the world is urging all parties for an early resolution of this conflict.”
The Prime Minister gave information about India’s trade relations with the countries of the war-torn West Asian region and said that most of the country’s requirement of crude oil and gas is met from the war-torn region.
He said that this area is also important because it provides a route for India’s trade with other countries.