Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a review meeting, to assess India’s defence preparedness amid recent global and regional security developments.
The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, tri-services chiefs Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir Kamat, and others.
The West Asia conflict, now in its fourth week, has choked trade via the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions spiked after the US-Israel joint strikes on February 28 killed Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli and US assets across several Gulf countries, causing further disruptions to the waterway and impacting international energy markets as well as global economic stability.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to make 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 addressed the Lok Sabha to brief members on the developments in West Asia and their potential impact on India. Describing the situation as “worrisome”.
He highlighted that the ongoing conflict poses unprecedented challenges that are not only economic and related to national security but also humanitarian.
The Prime Minister reflected on the global challenges which have emerged due to the conflict and India’s trade relations with countries in the West Asian region that were witnessing war, stating that a large part of the country’s need for crude oil and gas was met by the war-affected region. The opposition parties, on the other hand, called it a “master class in self-boasts and partisan dialogue-baazi (dramatic dialogue).”
“The situation in West Asia is worrisome. This conflict has been going on for more than three weeks. It has a severe impact on the global economy and the lives of the people, and that is why the world is urging all sides for an early resolution to this conflict,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister highlighted India’s trade ties with war-torn West Asian nations, noting that the region supplies much of the country’s crude oil and gas needs.
He added that the area remains vital as a key trade route for India’s commerce with the rest of the world.
