Rajnath Singh flags West Asia risks, calls for India’s maritime leadership

Kolkata: In this era of changing geopolitics, oceans have once again come to the centre of the world's power balance and it is India's responsibility to provide leadership with confidence and capability, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, referring to the escalating conflict in West Asia.

The unfolding developments in West Asia are "highly unusual" and the situation in the region could adversely impact the global economy, he said addressing an event here.

"What is happening in West Asia is highly unusual. It is difficult to make any firm comment at this stage on the direction in which conditions in West Asia might proceed going forward," he said.


"If we look at the Strait of Hormuz or the entire Persian Gulf region, it is an extremely important area for the world's energy security. When there is disturbance or disruption in this region, it directly impacts the supply of oil and gas," he said.

"Not only that, today we are witnessing supply chain disruptions not just in the energy sector, but in other sectors as well. The direct impact of these uncertainties falls on the economy and global trade," he said.

Singh said the current situation has once again reflected the importance of oceans.

"In this era of changing global geopolitics, oceans have once again come to the centre of the world's power balance. At such a time, as a major maritime nation, it is India's responsibility to provide leadership with confidence, capability, and a clear vision," he said.

The defence minister, however, did not make any direct or indirect reference to the US sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka two days back.

The Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack, which marked a major escalation in the conflict between the US and Iran outside of the Persian Gulf.

The US launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Following the military offensive, Iran carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

In the last three days, the conflict has widened significantly with attacks and counter-attacks by both the sides.