New Delhi, 01 March (H.S.):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-stakes Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting here tonight upon returning from a two-day tour of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The session, slated around 10 PM, drew Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to address surging West Asia tensions.

The conclave focused on the Iran-Israel-US conflict's ripple effects, including Iranian strikes on UAE targets injuring Indians, Hormuz Strait shipping halts threatening oil flows, and risks to the 3.5 million Indian expatriates in the Gulf.

Discussions covered evacuation protocols, maritime safeguards for energy imports, and intelligence on potential terror spillovers.

Strategic Response to Regional Flashpoint

Shah stressed ramping up domestic counter-terror grids, while Jaishankar outlined diplomatic maneuvers with Quad partners and Gulf allies. No formal communique emerged, but the meet reaffirms India's crisis-ready posture amid threats to its $100 billion+ annual Gulf remittances and 20% global oil transit via Hormuz.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar