Iran-US-Israel war: India reviews defence preparedness amid West Asia conflict

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, March 24, chaired a high-level meeting to review India’s security and defence preparedness as the war in West Asia drags on for the fourth week now.

The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir Kamat, along with other senior officials, as per news agency ANI. 

The latest meeting comes as the government reviews various challenges ranging from diplomatic to defence and trade that India is facing due to the conflict. 

It also comes days after Iran fired ballistic missiles toward the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, raising fears that the Iran war could spill over from the Gulf to a wider region. 

While the missiles failed to hit the target — one was intercepted and another fell short — the move marked Tehran’s expanding military reach beyond West Asia into the Indian Ocean region.  

Also Read: Iran-US-Israel War Live Updates

The review also comes ahead of India and the US looking to advance trade ties, and just a day after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks in the Parliament, highlighting challenges that lie ahead for India.

India is engaging with global suppliers and leveraging its strategic petroleum reserves to cushion supply disruptions, while also taking steps to secure shipping routes and ensure the safe return of vessels, he said.

“Movement of ships from the Strait of Hormuz has become very difficult,” PM Modi told Parliament on Monday, March 23.

The government is also preparing for prolonged disruption, with Modi warning that the challenges arising from the conflict could persist, even as India accelerates efforts to diversify energy sources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby is set to visit India to discuss implementing the US-India Major Defence Partnership framework.  

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