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4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 4, 2026 05:29 AM IST
Passengers arrive at IGI Airport on Tuesday. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)
AS the Iran war rages, the government is preparing on three key fronts: safety of Indian citizens in West Asian countries, protecting the middle class from any impact of oil prices, and aligning its diplomatic outreach in the region with national interest in mind.
According to senior government functionaries, these three issues were discussed in detail at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security on Sunday, March 1. Subsequently, key ministries including civil aviation, petroleum and natural gas, were also roped in to prepare for a situation where the war drags on for longer than expected.
The internal assessment is that the war may get over in a week’s time, top sources said, but added that the government is preparing for the worst i.e., the war carrying on for six months. “War ending in 6-7 days is a high probability event, but we are being cautious and preparing for six months,” a top government source told The Indian Express.
With nearly 10 million Indian citizens living in West Asian countries, their safety has become the point of high concern for the government. Over the last 2-3 days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally spoken with leaders of several countries in the region viz., UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, expressing solidarity with them, and thanking them for their continued care and support of the Indian community. UAE has nearly 3.5 million Indians, Saudi Arabia 2.7 million, Kuwait about a million and Qatar another 8.5 lakh.
Top sources in the government said Iran is amenable to setting aside a safe time window for those who want to travel back to their countries. “Iran has agreed to this with many other countries requesting safety for their citizens who plan to fly back home,” said a source.
So far, there are no indications of Indians wanting to rush back. “There is a need to assure the families and relatives of the NRIs living in West Asian countries. This is being done at the level of the local units of the BJP,” the source said.
Nevertheless, airlines are now slowly and progressively restoring services to countries in West Asia. For instance, Air India is now planning to deploy its wide body aircraft with higher capacity on its services to Jeddah and Dubai on March 3-4 to facilitate the return of passengers impacted by the ongoing situation. Indigo is also progressively normalising operations to Saudi Arabia and UAE.
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The second key concern relates to a situation where oil prices remain higher for longer. The government is also planning to provide a cushion to the middle class should oil prices shoot up, impacting petrol and diesel prices. “We are thinking of devising a mechanism for this such that the middle class is not burdened. Besides tapping other countries, asking domestic refiners to supply to the local market instead of exports is an option being considered,” another source said.
The CCS is also learnt to have discussed its diplomatic stand on the Iran war. “This is more of a strategic and long-term issue. Over the last 12 years, this government has built strong relations with Israel as well as Islamic countries in West Asia… There has been a big shift in our diplomacy in the region,” the source said.
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