The war in the Middle East has entered its fifth week since the US-Israel launched the first wave of airstrikes on Iran on February 28. The conflict has led to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for global energy transit, impacting crude and gas supplies worldwide.
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“India is facing these challenges resolutely because of its global relations, assistance from different countries and the capabilities it has built over the past decade,” PM Modi said. “The region where the war is underway is a major hub of our energy needs. Due to this, a petrol and diesel crisis is developing worldwide.”
He noted that a fierce war has been going on for the past month in our neighbourhood, and relatives of lakhs of families reside in these countries, particularly working in the Gulf regions. The prime minister expressed his gratitude to the Gulf countries for providing assistance to over one crore Indian nationals present there.
Modi highlighted that the month of March has been extremely eventful on a global level. Amid the war situation in the Gulf region, the current situation is “undoubtedly a challenging time.” He urged citizens to remain united and overcome this challenge.
Responding to the opposition’s allegations and raising political issues over the war, he said, “There is no place for self-serving politics in this. Those spreading rumours are causing great harm to the country, and I appeal to everyone to stay alert and not be misled by misinformation.”
“We all remember that, in the past, the entire world faced numerous problems for a long time due to COVID. We all expected that, after emerging from the COVID crisis, the world would move forward on the path of progress with a fresh start, but in the different regions of the world, conditions of war and conflict continued to emerge,” he said.
Since the onset of the conflict, Modi has spoken to a number of world leaders, including those from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Iran, France, Israel and Malaysia. He has also spoken to US President Donald Trump. After a telephonic conversation between the two on March 24, Modi said he “had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia”.
