West Asia conflict: India favours peace, return to dialogue, diplomacy, says EAM Jaishankar in Parliament
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated in Parliament on March 9, 2026, that India favours peace and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the West As...
What Happened
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated in Parliament on March 9, 2026, that India favours peace and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the West Asia conflict.
- India called for de-escalation, restraint, and the protection of civilians, and committed to working with regional governments toward peace.
- Discussions on reopening the Strait of Hormuz were specifically raised by India in diplomatic channels.
- With nearly one crore (10 million) Indians living and working in Gulf countries, their safety was flagged as a matter of "profound concern"; Indian crew members were reported stranded aboard ships in the Strait.
- India positioned itself as a potential mediator, leveraging its ties with all sides — the US, Israel, and Iran — rooted in its doctrine of strategic autonomy.
Static Topic Bridges
India's Doctrine of Strategic Autonomy
Strategic autonomy refers to a state's capacity to take independent decisions on matters of vital national interest, without being bound to any bloc or alliance. India's foreign policy evolved from non-alignment during the Cold War to multi-alignment in the 21st century — engaging multiple powers simultaneously based on issue-specific interests rather than ideology.
- Non-alignment was institutionalised at the Bandung Conference (1955) and through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), co-founded by India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru.
- Post-Cold War, India shifted to "strategic autonomy" — maintaining independent positions while deepening bilateral partnerships across competing blocs.
- India simultaneously holds a strategic partnership with the US (via the Quad), arms and defence ties with Israel, civilisational and energy ties with Iran, and labour/trade links with Gulf Arab states.
- Article 51 of the Indian Constitution directs the state to promote international peace and security and encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration.
Connection to this news: India's call for peace and dialogue in the West Asia conflict is a textbook application of strategic autonomy — refusing to align with any warring party while actively pursuing India's core interests: energy security, diaspora safety, and trade routes.
India's Stakes in West Asia: Diaspora, Energy, and Remittances
West Asia is India's most strategically important neighbourhood beyond South Asia. India's interests are underpinned by three pillars: the Indian diaspora, energy imports, and remittances.
- Approximately 90 lakh to 1 crore Indians live and work in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — the largest concentration of the Indian diaspora globally.
- India's remittances from West Asia constitute a major share of its total inward remittances; India is the world's largest recipient of remittances (approximately $125 billion in 2023, as per World Bank data).
- Nearly two-thirds of India's crude oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
- India trades approximately $200 billion annually with Gulf countries.
- The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), announced at the G20 New Delhi Summit (2023), is a flagship connectivity initiative linking India to Europe via the Gulf.
Connection to this news: India's engagement on the West Asia conflict is not merely humanitarian — it directly protects the economic scaffolding (remittances, oil, trade) that underpins India's growth story.
India as Mediator: Historical Precedents and Structural Position
India's unique positioning — ties with Israel (defence, technology), Iran (Chabahar, civilisational links), and Arab Gulf states (diaspora, energy) — gives it rare mediatory potential that few major powers possess.
- India and Iran signed the Chabahar Port Agreement (2016, renewed long-term in 2024) for connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
- India abstained on multiple UN resolutions on the Gaza conflict (2023–2025), preserving its neutrality.
- PM Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to call for peace amid the 2026 escalation — the second such contact since the conflict intensified in late February 2026.
- India's Look West Policy (conceptualised in 2005) formalised strategic engagement with West Asia beyond oil.
Connection to this news: Jaishankar's parliamentary statement reflects India's calibrated diplomacy — visible enough to project influence, restrained enough to preserve ties with all parties.
Key Facts & Data
- Indians in Gulf countries: approximately 90 lakh to 1 crore.
- India's total remittances: approximately $125 billion (2023) — world's largest recipient.
- India's crude oil imports via Strait of Hormuz: approximately two-thirds of total imports.
- India-Gulf trade: approximately $200 billion annually.
- Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) founded: 1961 (Belgrade).
- Bandung Conference: 1955.
- Chabahar Port Agreement: 2016 (long-term renewal 2024).
- IMEC announced: G20 New Delhi Summit, September 2023.
- Article 51 of the Constitution: directs promotion of international peace and settlement of disputes by arbitration.