NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and condemned the attacks on the nation, in his first conversation with any Gulf leader since the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran.“Spoke with President of the UAE, my brother Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Strongly condemned the attacks on the UAE and condoled the loss of lives in these attacks. India stands in solidarity with the UAE in these difficult times,” said Modi, while thanking him for taking care of the Indian community in the UAE. Modi didn’t name Iran, which has launched hundreds of projectiles at the UAE in retaliation for the US-Israel strikes that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.External affairs minister S Jaishankar had reached out to his counterparts from all GCC countries — Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman — to share India’s concerns over the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Gulf and discuss the well-being of the Indian community in the region. Modi also took stock of the West Asia situation at a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting late Sunday after his return to Delhi. The CCS is the highest decision-making body on issues relating to national security and defence.However, with airspace closed across the region, and road travel deemed unsafe, govt advised Indian nationals in Iran and other places to exercise utmost caution and follow local security guidance.Evacuation in any case is going to be a complex affair with nearly 10 million Indian nationals spread across the Gulf. India is hoping the aerial attacks will subside in the next few days, though they intensified on Sunday with the killing of Khamenei.The Indian embassy in UAE confirmed an Indian national was injured in an Iranian strike but added the person was out of danger and receiving assistance from hospital authorities. Meanwhile, the Iranian embassy in India called upon “independent and freedom-seeking govts” around the world to strongly condemn the killing of Khamenei and to refrain from remaining silent in the face of “lawlessness and aggression”.India, however, had not expressed condolences till late evening. Russia and China were among a handful of countries that condemned the killing or offered their condolences. India has been forced into a delicate balancing act because of its close ties with both sides — the US-Israel combine and Iran — and this reflected in its Saturday call for restraint and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
