India on Tuesday once again called for dialogue and diplomacy with the aim of ending the Iran-US conflict early, stressing the need to secure the interests of nearly 10 million Indians living in West Asia and prevent disruptions in trade and energy supply chains with potential “severe consequences” for the country’s economy.
This was the second time New Delhi called on all stakeholders in the region for de-escalation and restraint since Israel and the United States launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military commanders and sparking a wave of deadly retaliatory attacks against Israel and several other countries, including those hosting US military bases.
Oil prices rose about 13%, reaching their highest level since January 2025, after Iranian forces effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Natural gas prices rose after Qatar Energy Company, one of the world’s largest exporters, halted production following attacks on its facilities. These developments have heightened concerns in India, the world’s second-largest buyer of crude oil, where about 85% of its needs are met through imports.
“In this backdrop, India strongly reiterates its call for dialogue and diplomacy. We clearly raise our voice in favor of an early end to the conflict. We have already lost many lives and express our grief in this regard,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a detailed statement, three days after a brief and tentative response to the developing situation.
The statement noted that there are approximately 10 million Indian citizens living and working in the Gulf region, and said: “Their safety and well-being are the highest priority. We cannot be immune to any development that negatively affects them.”
As India’s trade and energy supply chains pass through the region, the statement said any “major disruption has serious consequences for the Indian economy.” The statement noted the prominent role played by Indian citizens in the global workforce while strongly opposing attacks on commercial shipping. “Some Indian citizens have already lost their lives or gone missing as a result of such attacks in the past few days,” she added.
At least three Indian sailors have been killed in Iranian attacks on two commercial ships in the waters off Oman since the weekend, and about 20 others have been injured in strikes across West Asia. Indians constitute about 12% of the global maritime workforce, with a total of more than 320,000 active sailors, and attacks on commercial ships during recent conflicts in West Asia have led to Indian casualties.
India’s repetition of its call for dialogue and diplomacy and the need for all parties to exercise restraint and avoid escalation came on the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as part of ongoing communication with the leadership of West Asian countries.
Modi condemned the attacks in these three countries and discussed the well-being and security of Indian citizens living there, people familiar with the matter said.
Amid the dramatic escalation in regional tensions, Modi earlier spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and expressed deep concern over the evolving situation. He also condemned the attacks on many of these countries.
The Indian side said that the conflict has not only escalated, but has spread to other countries in recent days, and “destruction and deaths have escalated,” while normal life and economic activities have stopped. “As a close neighbor with critical interests in the security and stability of the region, these developments raise great concern,” the statement said, adding that the situation has deteriorated significantly and continuously in the holy month of Ramadan.
About 50% of India’s oil imports – or approximately 2.6 million barrels per day – pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway used to transport nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies. Data from marine analysis companies showed that only three tankers carrying 2.8 million barrels crossed the strait on March 1, down 86% from the daily average of 19.8 million barrels for 2026.
Like the February 28 statement, Tuesday’s statement was silent on the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader or civilian casualties resulting from air strikes on Iran. As the United States and Israel continued their strikes, Iranian state-run media reported that the death toll had risen to 787. This included more than 160 children killed in a raid on a girls’ school in the city of Minab.
The US military said on Monday that the number of American soldiers killed so far had reached six, while there were reports that ten from Israel had been killed. Another 21 people were killed and dozens injured in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that Indian embassies and consulates in affected countries are in close contact with Indians and community organizations and are issuing regular warnings. The missions have provided assistance to Indians stranded due to the conflict and will “continue to take proactive measures in addressing various consular aspects”. The ministry said that the government will continue to “closely monitor developments in the situation and make relevant decisions in the national interest.”
