New Delhi, Mar 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the rapidly evolving global situation arising from the escalating Iran-Israel-US conflict and assess its potential impact on India.
India Today reported that the he meeting assumed significance amid concerns for the safety of nearly 9.7 million Indians living across the Middle East. The government has been closely monitoring developments and initiated contingency planning, including possible evacuation operations if the situation worsens.
The meeting was held at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
The meeting is likely to focus on measures for the safe return of Indians stranded in the conflict-hit region.
The CCS review comes as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, with the United States and Israel carrying out strikes inside Iran and Tehran vowing retaliation, raising fears of a wider regional escalation that could disrupt global oil supplies and regional stability.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has already spoken with counterparts in Iran, Israel and Gulf nations, urging restraint and emphasising Indiaís concerns. India has repeatedly urged dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the issue.
Indian missions in the region have issued advisories asking citizens to avoid non-essential travel, remain vigilant and stay in touch with embassies. The Indian diaspora in West Asia is substantial, including about 3.9 million in the UAE, 2.75 million in Saudi Arabia, over 1 million in Kuwait, 830,000 in Qatar, 662,000 in Oman and around 347,000 in Bahrain.
