Iran-US war spreading to Middle East evokes 'great anxiety': India

THe Ministry of extraneous Affairs tues distressed on the essential of de-escalation in westward Asia, while flagging concerns regarding the safety of Indians in Gulf countries as the conflict in the region spreads.In a statement, the ministry said there were almost one crore Indian citizens who live and work in the Gulf region. “Their safety and well-being is of utmost priority. We cannot be impervious to any development that negatively affects them,” the MEA said. “As a proximate neighbour with critical stakes in the security and stability of the region, these developments evoke great anxiety,” it said.It further “firmly opposed” attacks on merchant shipping, saying some Indian nationals had already lost their lives or are missing “as a result of such attacks in the last few days.”This comes after one Indian mariner was killed onboard crude oil tanker ‘MKD VYOM’ after it was hit by a drone boat off the Oman coast.Tensions between Washington and Tehran spilled over on Saturday after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Following this, Iran launched retaliatory strikes on US military installations and other sites in Gulf countries, including UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait, thus leading to an escalation of the conflict.India calls for ‘dialogue and diplomacy’ in West Asia, says in touch with governments in regionIndia further reiterated its call for “dialogue and diplomacy”, while establishing that it was “in favour of an early end to the conflict.” It said that India was in touch with the governments in the conflict-ridden region, as well as with key partners, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar had spoken to their counterparts.“We had expressed our deep concern at the commencement of the conflict in Iran and the Gulf region on 28 February 2026. Even at that time, India had urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritize the safety of civilians,” the MEA said. The ministry said that it was unfortunate that the situation in the region had deteriorated “significantly and continuously” during Ramadan.“In recent days, we have not only witnessed an intensification of the conflict but also its spread to other nations. The destruction and deaths have mounted, even as normal life and economic activities come to a halt,” the MEA statement said.The ministry said that Indian embassies and consulates in the region were in regular contact with Indian nationals, and was issuing frequent advisories. “They have also extended all possible help to those stranded by the conflict. The Embassies and Consulates will continue to be proactive in addressing various consular aspects of this conflict,” the MEA added.