West Asia conflict: PM Narendra Modi holds talks with Emmanuel Macron, pushes for diplomacy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 5 spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed the rapidly evolving situation in West Asia, stressing the need for a return to dialogue and diplomacy amid the widening regional conflict. 

Following the telephonic conversation, Modi said both leaders agreed to remain closely engaged and coordinate efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the region at the earliest. 

“Spoke with my friend President Emmanuel Macron today. We discussed our shared concerns over the evolving situation in West Asia and the need for a return to dialogue and diplomacy,” Modi said in a post on X (formally twitter). 

The conflict in West Asia escalated after the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran on February 28, in which Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed. The strikes triggered a sharp military response from Tehran and intensified hostilities across the region. 

In retaliation, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks targeting Israeli and American military bases across several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Over the past few days, the conflict has widened significantly with continued attacks and counter-attacks. 

Since the outbreak of the crisis, PM Modi has been in touch with several leaders from the region to discuss the security situation and its implications. Before speaking with Macron, the prime minister had held phone conversations with eight West Asian leaders, including Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

During these conversations, PM Modi condemned violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity and emphasised the urgent need to restore peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy. He also thanked the leaders for their support in ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community living in their respective countries. 

The conflict has raised concerns in India due to the large number of Indian nationals living across the Gulf and West Asia. Around 10 million Indians reside in the region. Approximately 10,000 Indian citizens live, study or work in Iran, while more than 40,000 Indian nationals are based in Israel. 

Meanwhile, airspace across much of West Asia remains largely closed because of the ongoing military escalation. The disruption in flight operations has left hundreds of Indian travellers stranded at major transit hubs such as Dubai and Doha.