Page 9 - West Asia And The Gulf

PM Modi to interact with CMs on preparedness amid West Asia conflict

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact on Friday with the chief ministers of all states, barring those which are going to polls, to review their preparedness and plans in the wake of the West Asia conflict, sources said. This is the first time that the prime minister will hold a meeting with the chief ministers on the West Asia conflict which started on February 28 with the attack by the US-Israel on Iran. The Persian nation has also retaliated by firing on its Gulf neighbours and Israel. "The prime minister will interact with the CMs tomorrow evening through video conferencing on the West Asia conflict to review preparedness and plans of states. The meeting will focus on ensuring synergy of efforts in the spirit of Team India," the sources said. The chief ministers of election-bound states will not be part of this meeting due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Cabinet Secretariat will hold a separate meeting with the chief secretaries of poll-bound Tamil Nadu, West Bengal

India asks auto industry to optimise output as Iran conflict hits supplies

The government has already prioritised use of gas for households over industries, which get only about 80 per cent of their average needs

Oil rises as investors reassess West Asia ceasefire prospects

Oil jumps over 3% as Middle East tensions threaten supply, with Hormuz disruption and global outages intensifying fears of a prolonged energy crisis

Pentagon considers redirecting Ukraine military aid to West Asia: Report

The weapons that could be redirected include air defense interceptor missiles purchased through a NATO initiative launched last year, under which partner countries buy US arms for Kyiv

Help for consumers as restaurants are asked not to add 'LPG cost' to bills

The Central Consumer Protection Authority has barred restaurants from levying separate 'LPG charges' on bills, mandating that all operational fuel costs be integrated into menu pricing

India not 'broker' amid West Asia crisis: Jaishankar at all-party meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed to US President Donald Trump that the war in West Asia must end soon as it is hurting everyone, the government told an up-in-arms Opposition at an all-party meeting on Wednesday, terming Pakistan a "dalaal" (broker) nation in reference to its reported mediation in the conflict. There is nothing new in Pakistan's mediation efforts in the matter as that country has been "used" by the US since 1981, sources quoted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as saying. "We are not a dalaal nation," Jaishankar is said to have told the attendees of the meeting convened at the Parliament complex to discuss the West Asia crisis. The sources added that the government refuted the Opposition's charge that New Delhi was silent on the situation, asserting that "we are commenting and responding". When the Iran embassy was opened, the Foreign Secretary visited immediately and signed the condolence book, the government told the parties in response to the ...

FII's India allocation unlikely to change in the near term: Rajat Rajgarhia

For FII's, the favored markets over last two years have been countries that were beneficiaries of new age tech and artificial intelligence (AI), he said.

West Asia crisis: 426,000 passengers have returned to India, says MEA

Amid the West Asia conflict, a total of 1,043 Indian nationals, including 717 students, have crossed out of Iran with the assistance of the mission in Tehran, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday. At an inter-ministerial briefing here on the West Asia situation, Aseem R Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf), MEA, also said the overall flight situation continues to improve, and that around 4.26 lakh passengers have returned from the region to India since February 28. "During this period, a total of 2,149 flights, including scheduled and non-scheduled flights of Indian as well as foreign carriers, have operated from the region to India," he said. The MEA said it continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Gulf and the West Asia region. "We are according the highest priority to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of the large Indian community in the region," Mahajan said. The ministry's dedicated Control Room remains operational to address queries

Iran rejects Trump's 15-point ceasefire plan, presents its own 5 demands

Tehran termed the US proposal excessive, and said it would continue operations; it also outlined five conditions including security guarantees and control over the Strait of Hormuz

Restaurants cannot add 'LPG surcharge' to bill, will face action: CCPA

The consumer protection body on Wednesday said such levies cannot be added automatically, calling them unfair trade practices, and warned that violations would invite strict action under the law

'West Asia war part of pattern of aggression against sovereign nations'

The Jan Hastakshep, a civil rights organisation, has slammed the NDA government for its "deafening silence" amidst the US-Israel and Iran conflict and termed the attack on the Persian nation as "unprovoked". In a statement, issued after a seminar held on Tuesday, the Hastakshep said the current conflict, along with similar wars in the past, constitutes part of a persistent pattern of the US military aggression directed against sovereign nations. The seminar was inaugurated by former union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and attended by journalists Praveen Sahni, Saeed Naqvi, and President of the JNU Teachers' Association Saeed Akhtar Hussain among others. "Amidst the US-Israel-Iran conflict, the Narendra Modi government has steered India's foreign policy to a juncture where it is currently crawling on its knees," the statement said. The speakers slammed the NDA government for its "deafening silence" amidst the US-Israel and Iran. The seminar was held under the theme: "The Attack on Ir

Shivraj Chouhan to convene meeting on fertiliser supply amid West Asia war

The meeting will focus on assessing key issues impacting agriculture, especially in light of emerging global uncertainties and their potential effects on the agricultural sector

Govt constitutes seven empowered groups to address West Asia crisis

These groups will formulate strategies on strategic and security matters, supply chains, LPG and energy supplies, fertilizers, essential commodities, logistics, and public communication

Govt says fuel stocks adequate, urges public to avoid panic buying

The government on Tuesday said India has adequate stocks of petrol, diesel and LPG, and that all refineries are operating at high capacity despite disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz situation. In an update on fuel availability, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said petrol pumps across the country remain fully functional, though panic buying triggered by rumours led to unusually high sales in some areas. She urged citizens not to engage in hoarding and to rely on official information. Sharma said domestic LPG production has been stepped up, with no reported dry-outs at distributorships, even as supply remains under pressure due to the prevailing geopolitical situation. Deliveries continue as normal, she added. Natural gas supplies to priority segments such as domestic PNG and CNG transport remain fully protected, while supplies to industrial and commercial users are being maintained at about 80 per cent of average consumption. The

Indian brewers warn of shortages as Iran conflict hits packaging makers

Iranian attacks have partially disrupted Qatar's export capacity, tightening gas availability for Indian manufacturers

Iran names ex-IRGC commander as top security official after Larijani death

Iran named a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander as the new secretary of the country's Supreme National Security Council on Tuesday, replacing Ali Larijani, who was killed in an airstrike. Iranian state television identified the new secretary as Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr. Zolghadr reached the rank of brigadier general in the Guard. He had been serving as the secretary of Iran's Expediency Council.

India veg oil refiners cut purchases, expect conflict-driven rally to fade

India, which meets nearly two-thirds of its vegetable oil needs through imports, brought in an average 1.36 million metric tons a month in the marketing year that ended in October 2025

L&T soars 6%, records sharpest intra-day rally since October 2024

In the month of March, the stock price of L&T tanked 22 per cent from a level of ₹4,280 to ₹3,341.90 as of yesterday.

Strikes on Gulf energy infra spark fears of prolonged global impact

This new phase of the war began Wednesday, when Iran carried out a retaliatory missile strike on Ras Laffan, Qatar's vast energy complex

States must act against profiteering in retail coal market, says minister

Coal minister urges states to check retail profiteering amid rising prices during the West Asia crisis; Centre launches seventh tranche of critical mineral auctions