Regional stability in danger due to Red Sea tension and attempted Mecca attack!

India on Friday reiterated its deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea region and the attempted attack on Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca. India said these developments not only threaten regional stability but also impact freedom of maritime movement and navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

Addressing the bi-weekly press conference held in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described these attacks as unacceptable and appealed for early restoration of peace and stability in the region.

He said, “We are concerned by the deterioration of the security situation in the Red Sea region. You may have also seen our earlier statement in this regard. We have condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia's sovereign border, its citizens and economic assets.

You must have also seen our statement issued after the attempted attack on the holy city of Mecca. Such attacks weaken the regional security system. “They affect regional peace and security and also threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.”

“This situation is completely unacceptable to us for many reasons. We hope that peace and stability will be restored to the region as soon as possible,” Jaiswal said.

Expressing concern over the drone attack incident near Mecca on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the city holds immense religious importance for Muslims around the world. We are extremely concerned about the drone attack near Mecca.

India again strongly condemns the attacks on Saudi Arabia's sovereign territory and activities that threaten civilian lives and infrastructure. He reiterated that India hopes that peace and stability will soon return to the region.

The Foreign Ministry's statement came after Saudi Arabia's Royal Air Defense Forces on Tuesday shot down a hostile drone fired by Houthi rebels before it could enter Mecca's restricted airspace.

Earlier this week also, the Ministry of External Affairs had expressed deep concern over the situation in the Red Sea region in the wake of recent attacks between Yemen's Houthi group and Saudi Arabia. In a media briefing, Jaiswal said, “Our Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia during the BRICS summit.

Many issues including regional and international developments were discussed in the meeting. The issue related to the Houthi group was also part of the talks. Recently there was an attack on Saudi Arabia, which we have condemned. “We are also extremely concerned about the increasing tensions in the Red Sea region.”

He said, “We condemn the attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's sovereign territory, civilian infrastructure and economic assets. Such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten the freedom of maritime navigation through the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait. These activities are clearly unacceptable to us. We look forward to the early restoration of peace and stability in the region. At the same time, we also receive energy supplies from this part of the world.”