‘Engagement with Iranian leadership is difficult’: Jaishankar spells out India’s stance on Middle East wars

New Delhi: India believes in easing tensions in the Middle East through dialogue and diplomacy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday.Outlining India’s position in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the situation and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure an effective response.“Our government issued a statement on February 20 expressing deep concern and urging all parties to exercise restraint. We continue to believe that tensions should be eased through dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaishankar said amid slogans from opposition lawmakers.He added: “The Prime Minister continues to closely monitor the situation and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure an effective response. Taking into account the seriousness of the situation, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) convened a meeting on March 1 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and was briefed on the Iranian air strikes and subsequent attacks in multiple Gulf countries. The CCS expressed concerns about the safety of the Indian community in the region.”The EAM said the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East were of “particular concern” to India, as more than 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries and regions. He also added that the region is key to India’s energy security and hosts many important oil and gas suppliers. “This ongoing conflict is of particular concern to India. We are neighboring regions and we have a clear stake in stability in West Asia. Ten million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries. There are also thousands of Indians studying or working in Iran. The region is key to our energy security and is home to many important oil and gas suppliers. Severe supply chain disruptions and an unstable atmosphere are serious concerns,” Jaishankar said.“Conflicts continue to intensify, and the regional security situation has significantly deteriorated. The conflict has spread to other countries, causing increasing damage. Normal life and activities are obviously affected. The Indian Embassy has facilitated the relocation of several Indian students in Tehran to outside locations. Indian nationals traveling in Iran on business can easily cross Armenia to return to India. Our embassy in Tehran remains fully operational and on high alert. We are committed to supporting the Indian community at this time,” he added.Jaishankar also said that the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed Iran’s gratitude to India for its humanitarian move of allowing the Iranian warship “Ravan” to dock at the Cochin port.“Engagement with the Iranian leadership at this time is obviously difficult…Iran’s foreign minister has expressed Iran’s gratitude to India for its humanitarian gesture of allowing the Iranian warship Ravan to dock at the Port of Cochin.”Jaishankar also informed the House that due to the ongoing clashes, two Indian seamen (merchant vessels) were killed and one is still missing.“We lost two Indian sailors (merchant ship) and one is still missing,” he said.Since the war between the United States, Israel and Iran began, at least 1,230 people have died in Iran, 397 in Lebanon, 11 in Israel and seven in the United States. In Lebanon, fighting has displaced more than 500,000 people, but authorities say the actual number is likely higher. The official figure of 517,000 reflects only those registered on the government portal.Beyond the battlefield, the conflict has triggered widening humanitarian and economic impacts. Global energy markets are in turmoil, with oil prices topping $100 a barrel and natural gas supplies tight after Qatar Energy halted production. Early in the war with Iran, Israel renewed its offensive after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.The Middle East war began on February 28. The United States and Israel launched large-scale joint strikes against military bases, missile launch sites and strategic facilities across Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan and Kermanshah.The most high-profile development was the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in what analysts described as a “decapitation attack” aimed at weakening Iran’s leadership. Several senior military commanders were also reportedly killed.