India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke on phone with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Albusaidi on Thursday. The two leaders discussed the ongoing conflict in West Asia. After the conversation, Jaishankar posted on the social media platform ‘X’ and said that he discussed the current situation in West Asia with the Foreign Minister of Oman.
Earlier, on March 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman over phone. He condemned the violation of Oman’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and appreciated the support extended by Oman to the Indian community.
PM Modi said the two leaders shared views on recent developments in West Asia and agreed that sustained diplomatic efforts are necessary to restore peace and stability in the region.
The Indian Embassy in Oman said on March 2 that an Indian citizen was killed in the attack on an oil tanker. The embassy said that it is working with local authorities to send the Indians on board back to India safely and quickly.
The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was targeted by an unmanned surface vessel about 52 nautical miles off the coast of Oman, according to Oman’s state news agency.
The tanker had about 59,463 metric tons of cargo. The attack was followed by a fire and explosion in the engine room, killing one Indian crew member.
During the rescue operation, 21 crew members present on the ship were rescued safely, including 16 Indians, 4 Bangladeshi and 1 Ukrainian national. Also, a ship of the Royal Navy of Oman is keeping an eye on the position of the tanker and warning the ships passing nearby.
The tensions in West Asia began after joint attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel on February 28, which were aimed at weakening Iran’s missile capabilities and military infrastructure.
These attacks killed several senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, one of Iran’s top leaders. In response, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting US bases, regional capitals and allied forces, increasing tensions across the Middle East.
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