New Delhi | As fresh attacks on West Asian gas hubs triggered global concerns, India on Thursday said the strikes are "unacceptable and need to cease" even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to top leaders of Oman, Jordan, France and Malaysia, emphasising the urgency to restore peace in the volatile region.
Following his phone conversation with Jordan's King Abdullah II, Modi said the attacks on energy infrastructure in West Asia are "condemnable and can lead to avoidable escalation".
New Delhi described the attacks on the gas infrastructure as "deeply disturbing" and that assaults will only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy market globally.
An Israeli attack on Iran's strategic gas fields of South Pars on Wednesday resulted in an intense Iranian retaliation on key energy infrastructure in a number of Gulf nations including Qatar's LNG (liquefied natural gas) hub of Ras Laffan. Qatar accounts for nearly 40 per cent of India's LNG requirement.
India's reaction to the attacks on the energy infrastructure appeared to mark a nuanced shift in its position as it did not distinguish between Israeli strike on the Iranian gas hub and Iran's counter attack.
New Delhi had earlier only condemned Iran's attacks on civilian infrastructure in several Gulf nations, including Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, but stopped short of denouncing attacks on Iranian facilities.
"India had previously called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
"The recent attacks against energy installations in different locations across this region are therefore deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario for the whole world," he said.
"Such attacks are unacceptable and need to cease," Jaiswal said without naming any country.
The spokesperson said LNG supply could be impacted due to the latest attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But he also said India is in talks with several countries and stakeholders to see how best it can secure the country's energy needs.
The fresh attacks resulted in a further spike in global energy prices, with crude oil prices hitting USD 115 a barrel.
As concerns mounted over the escalating situation in West Asia, PM Modi spoke to Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Jordan King, French President Emmanuel Macron and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
In his conversation with the Omani Sultan, Modi also spoke about the need for free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically key shipping lane.
"We agreed on the need to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy for de-escalation and subsequent restoration of peace and stability," the prime minister said on social media.
Modi said he also reiterated India's condemnation of the violation of Oman's sovereignty and territorial integrity and appreciated the Gulf nation's efforts to facilitate the safe return of thousands of people, including Indian nationals.
"India and Oman stand for safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz," Modi said.
Oman is among the Gulf nations bearing the brunt of Iranian retaliation following strikes by Israel and the US on Iranian targets.
Following his phone conversation with Macron on the situation in West Asia, Modi said there is an "urgent need for de-escalation, as well as a return to dialogue and diplomacy."
"We look forward to continuing our close coordination to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond," he said.
Macron said India and France are "working closely together to reduce tensions in the region and to keep diplomacy at the heart of our efforts for peace".
After speaking to Ibrahim, Modi said: "We also discussed the deeply concerning situation in West Asia and reaffirmed our shared commitment to de-escalation and the early restoration of peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy."
On his talks with Jordan's King, Modi said India and Jordan stand in support of "unhindered transit of goods and energy".
"We expressed concern at the evolving situation in West Asia and highlighted the need for dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace, security and stability in the region," Modi said.
"Attacks on energy infrastructure in West Asia are condemnable and can lead to avoidable escalation," he said.
"Deeply appreciated Jordan's efforts in facilitating the safe return of Indians stranded in the region," he added.
In a related move, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar.
"Exchanged views on the ongoing West Asia conflict and its many repercussions," the external affairs minister said on social media.
Jaishankar also held a meeting with United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy.
"Thanked the UAE Government for taking care of the Indian community. Discussed the latest developments pertaining to the conflict in West Asia," the external affairs minister said on 'X'.
At the media briefing, Jaiswal also spoke about the Indian seafarers stranded onboard various merchant vessels due to restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
"We have a large community of seafarers, possibly the largest in the world. Ninety per cent of our seafaring community serve global commercial shipping. We have 22 ships," he said.
According to estimates, around 610 seafarers are stuck onboard over 20 ships.
"We have seafarers across the region. We are in touch with their companies. Several seafarers have also come back. For example, 15 seafarers who were injured have come back to India or will be arriving in India shortly," he said.
As the overall situation deteriorated further in West Asia, several global leaders called for de-escalation of the situation.
"It is time to open a path towards de-escalation in order to restore stability in the Middle East," French President Macron said.
"France calls for the immediate implementation of a moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, whether related to water or to energy. Freedom and security of navigation must be restored," he said.
Macron said tempers must cool and hostilities must cease, in order to give a real chance to the prospect of a negotiated solution to the crisis.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated that US President Donald Trump is willing to halt the military action.
After Iran attacked Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG facility, Trump threatened to blow up Iran's largest gas field if Tehran keeps up its attacks on Qatar.
Dubai | Iran intensified its attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf on Thursday, raising the stakes in a war that is sending shock waves through the global economy.
The strikes, in retaliation for an Israeli attack on a key Iranian gas field, sent fuel prices soaring and risked drawing Iran's Arab neighbours directly into the conflict. Tehran's targeting of energy production further stressed global supplies already under pressure because of Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported.
Since the US and Israel launched the war on Feb 28, Iran's top leaders have been killed in airstrikes and the country's military capabilities have been severely degraded. Still, Iran — now led by the son of the supreme leader killed in the war's opening salvo — remains capable of missile and drone attacks rattling its Gulf Arab neighbours and a global economy dependent on the energy they produce.
Underscoring the danger to ships in the region, a vessel was set ablaze off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and another damaged off Qatar. But efforts to bypass the strait were also under pressure: An Iranian drone hit a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea, which the country had been hoping to use as an alternative exit route.
Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked to as high as USD 118 a barrel, up more than 60 per cent since Israel and the United States started the war. The European benchmark for natural gas prices rose 17 per cent on Thursday and has doubled in the past month.
Energy infrastructure is targeted around the Gulf
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Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE denounced the Iranian attacks. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called them a “dangerous escalation.”
But Iran showed no signs of backing down. Saudi Arabia said its SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu was hit. Saudi Arabia had begun pumping large volumes of oil west toward the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar, a key source of natural gas for world markets, said extensive damage was caused by Iranian missiles hitting the Ras Laffan LNG facility, where production had already been halted after earlier attacks. Damage to the facility could delay Qatar's ability to get supplies to the market even after the war ends.
Two refineries in Kuwait and gas operations in Abu Dhabi also were targeted by Iran, local authorities said.
In Israel, more than a half-dozen waves of Iranian attacks targeting large parts of the country sent millions of people to shelters. The strikes caused damage to buildings but no significant casualties were reported.
After the latest Iranian barrage, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said the electricity grid in northern Israel sustained some damage. He said crews had restored electricity to some areas and were working to restore it in others.
Israeli media showed images of black smoke rising from an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa.
Hegseth says fate of Iran is in hands of US military
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In Washington, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the US military “controls the fate” of Iran.
“Iran has the ability to make the right choices,” he said, adding that Tehran “should not, going forward, target Arab allies, Arab countries, trying to create pain, the pain that they created themselves.”
The Trump administration has cited various war objectives, including degrading Iran's missile capabilities and its nuclear program. Killing senior leaders has also been a priority for the US and Israel.
Hegseth on Thursday implied Thursday that more leaders could be targeted, referring specifically to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij force, a powerful internal security unit whose leader was killed by Israel earlier this week.
“The last job anyone in the world wants right now, senior leader for the IRGC or Basij, temp jobs, all of them,” Hegseth said.
Among the Iranian energy facilities hit in recent days was the Bushehr nuclear power plant complex. There were no injuries and the plant suffered no damage, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that US forces continue to attack deeper into Iranian territory, with warplanes hunting Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz and helicopters striking Iranian drones. Caine said the US military has also dropped 5,000-pound bombs on underground weapon-storage facilities.
Israel said Thursday it struck Iranian targets in the Caspian Sea for the first time. Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said the strikes hit dozens of targets, including ships, a shipyard and a command centre.
The Pentagon is seeking USD 200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, a senior administration official said. The department sent the request to the White House, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information.
Iran's strikes were retaliation for Israeli attack on a critical gas field
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Iran stepped up its attacks on Gulf energy facilities after Israel hit South Pars, the Iranian part of the world's largest gas field, which is located offshore in the Persian Gulf and owned jointly with Qatar.
With some 80 per cent of all power generated in Iran coming from natural gas, according to the International Energy Agency, the attack directly threatens the country's electricity supplies. Natural gas is also used to supply household heating and cooking across the Islamic Republic.
“Israel's target selection in this war has heavily focused on the institutions, leaders and infrastructure,” the New York-based Soufan Centre said in a research note. “It now seeks to inflict additional pressure on the regime by making the living conditions for civilians intolerable.”
Iran condemned the strike on South Pars, with President Masoud Pezeshkian warning of “uncontrollable consequences” that “could engulf the entire world.”
In Washington, President Donald Trump said that Israel would not attack South Pars again. But he warned on social media that if Iran continued striking Qatar's energy infrastructure, the US would retaliate and “massively blow up the entirety” of the field.
Asked later about the possibility of US ground troops being deployed to Iran, Trump responded, “No. I'm not putting troops anywhere.”
Death toll climbs in third week of war
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More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed during the war. Israeli strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon have displaced more than 1 million people — roughly 20 per cent of the population — according to the Lebanese government, which says more than 1,000 people have been killed. Israel says it has killed more than 500 Hezbollah militants.
In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. Four people were also killed in the occupied West Bank overnight by an Iranian missile strike, according to officials.
At least 13 US military members have been killed.
Iran announced the execution of three men detained in January's nationwide protests, the first such sentences known to have been carried out, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported.
