Prime Minister Modi held a high-level meeting with senior ministers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review India’s energy preparedness amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The meeting, held at the prime minister’s residence, was attended by Union ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, J P Nadda, Hardeep Puri and other senior officials.
The Union government is monitoring the situation in the West Asia and the disruptions caused to the energy sector amid Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz — acritical supply route for India.
India has started procuring oil and gas from other countries amid the disruption in the Strait as it imports most of its energy from West Asian countries.
Earlier, PM Modi had said that the conflict in West Asia has triggered a global energy crisis. He described it as a test of national character, requiring calm, patience and greater public awareness to navigate the situation.
“Continuous efforts are also underway to determine how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain,” he said.
The conflict in West Asia — now in its third week — escalated after US and Israel carried out air strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran lost its top leaders including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in the strikes. Tehran has, meanwhile, attacked Israel, US interests in the region and Gulf countries — targeting military and energy infrastructures.