India calls for West Asia de-escalation, prioritises safety of 1 Cr Indians

New Delhi, Mar 9: India has advocated de-escalation of tensions in West Asia and called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all underlying issues, as it put the safety of around one crore Indians in the region as its top priority.

Making a suo-motu statement in Parliament on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi is in favour of peace and urges a return to dialogue and diplomacy.

“We advocate de-escalation, restraint, and ensuring the safety of civilians," he said in identical statements in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

He said the Indian government has been constantly monitoring the evolving situation in the region at the highest level and has already brought back 67,000 stranded Indians from the conflict zone.

"The well-being and security of the Indian community in the region is our priority. And our national interests, including energy security and trade, will always be paramount. Sir, it is also imperative that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in the region be respected," he told the Parliament.

Jaishankar informed the Parliament about the steps taken by the government to bring back Indians and provided details of the operation of flights by several airlines to bring back those affected.

The External Affairs Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to leaders of several countries in West Asia and has received assurances that the well-being of the Indian community would be a priority for them.

"I have similarly been in close touch with my counterparts in these countries. Insofar as the United States is concerned, we have maintained regular contacts through diplomatic channels. While attempts have been made, contacts with Iran at the leadership level are obviously difficult at this time. I have, however, spoken to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on February 28 and March 5, 2026. We will continue these high-level conversations in the coming days," he assured the house.

He also defended allowing the Iranian ship to dock at an Indian port as the right decision taken on humanitarian grounds.

"IRIS LAVAN actually docked on 04 March in Kochi. The crew is currently in Indian naval facilities. We believe that this was the right thing to do and the Iranian Foreign Minister has expressed his country's thanks for this humane gesture," he said.

The minister said attacks on merchant shipping have affected Indian seafarers, with casualties reported and one Indian mariner still missing.

He also informed Parliament that his ministry, as well as Indian embassies in West Asian countries, had been issuing regular advisories to Indian citizens there, asking them to avoid non-essential travel to Iran and advising those already there to remain in contact with the Indian embassy.

In both houses, the Opposition staged vociferous protests as Jaishankar rose to make his suo-motu statement, demanding that a full-fledged discussion should precede his statement on the situation in West Asia. While the Opposition staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha, they forced the Lok Sabha to be adjourned amid noisy scenes.

PTI