In a late-night session on February 28, India’s top security brass convened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stewardship. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) zeroed in on the explosive fallout from airstrikes on Iran, a trigger for cascading tensions engulfing multiple Gulf states.
Intelligence updates painted a grim picture of the aerial assaults and their domino effects. Foremost on the agenda was the plight of India’s vast expatriate workforce in these zones—over 8 million strong—now at risk amid the unrest. The meeting also addressed ripple effects on Indian passengers navigating fraught airspace and students disrupted in their academic pursuits.
Economic shockwaves were dissected in detail: potential snarls in oil supplies, shipping routes, and bilateral trade that could jolt India’s growth trajectory. Responding assertively, the CCS commanded a multi-agency mobilization to extend every possible aid to Indians in distress, from emergency repatriation to on-ground welfare measures.
A strong pitch was made for halting hostilities pronto, favoring negotiation tracks over military escalation. PM Modi amplified this diplomatically, holding forthright talks with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. He flagged India’s worries, prioritized citizen safety, and pushed for rapid de-escalation.
Earlier that Sunday, Modi spoke with UAE’s Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, mourning the human toll of the strikes, pledging India’s steadfast backing, and appreciating UAE’s guardianship of Indian residents. The conversation reinforced mutual goals of defusing crises and bolstering peace in West Asia.
This sequence of engagements underscores New Delhi’s agile crisis management, blending domestic security directives with international advocacy to shield its people and interests.