External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar addressed the Rajya Sabha amid opposition sloganeering, providing a comprehensive update on the West Asia conflict that erupted on February 28, with US-Israeli strikes killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, followed by Tehran’s retaliation against American bases, Israeli assets and Gulf states. He described the escalating violence- marked by high-level casualties, infrastructure devastation and spillover effects halting normal life- as a profound concern for India, given its proximity, nearly one crore citizens in Gulf nations, thousands of students and workers in Iran and reliance on the region for energy security from key oil and gas suppliers.Â
