New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a high-level meeting underway in Parliament, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in attendance. Reports indicate the meeting is being held amid renewed conflict in West Asia, with Iran and the US no longer adhering to the fragile ceasefire.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal are also present at the meeting, which is currently ongoing. The situation in West Asia has implications for India’s energy security and fuel supplies.
What’s happening in West Asia?
Amid various disputes between Iran and the US, the fragile ceasefire between the two nations has collapsed. Tensions began building around the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, during which Tehran vowed to kill US President Donald Trump in revenge for Khamenei’s death.
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Adding to the friction was an ongoing dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, with the US pushing for the shipping route to return to its pre-war status, while Iran insisted it would begin charging tolls for vessels crossing the international waterway. This dispute soon escalated into extensive US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure, followed by retaliatory Iranian drone and missile strikes. Iran subsequently began targeting US bases in the Gulf, prompting Trump to threaten fierce retaliatory attacks.
Meeting follows debate over use of force on students
The high-level meeting comes a day after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed Parliament, demanding answers from the government over the alleged excessive use of force by Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) against protesting students on July 20.
Making a pointed claim in the Lok Sabha that prompted BJP MPs to demand an apology, Gandhi said, “I am very happy today to see that the so-called Home Minister of this country does not have the courage to come and sit here… why is the Home Minister not here today? The Home Minister is not here today because he is scared. The Home Minister authorised the shooting of our students. He put pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot.”