3 min readNew DelhiMar 29, 2026 05:29 AM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday and they “agreed on the need to ensure freedom of navigation and keeping shipping lines open and secure”.
Modi also condemned the attacks on regional energy infrastructure — a reference to Iranian attacks on energy installations in the Gulf including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
This was their second conversation since the war started on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran, and Tehran counter-attacked US military bases, facilities and personnel in the Gulf region, as well as energy infrastructure there — expanding the theatre of the conflict.
After the call, PM Modi posted on X: “Spoke with Crown Prince and PM of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed the ongoing conflict in West Asia. I reiterated India’s condemnation of attacks on regional energy infrastructure. We agreed on the need to ensure freedom of navigation and keeping shipping lines open and secure.”
“Thanked him for his continued support for the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia,” he said, referring to the 27 lakh Indians living and working in the country. There are about one crore Indians in the Gulf and West Asian region.
Diplomatic bind
Saudi Arabia has been navigating a difficult situation diplomatically, as it hosts the American military and is perceived to be helping the US against Iran.
After the March 2 phone conversation — their first contact after the war began — PM Modi had said they discussed the evolving situation in West Asia and India condemned the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia in violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. “We agreed that the earliest restoration of regional peace and stability is of utmost importance. I thanked him for looking after the well-being of the Indian community in these difficult times,” he had said.
Iran has engaged in retaliatory strikes, with reports of drones and missiles targeting the Prince Sultan Air Base (south of Riyadh), where US personnel are stationed. Twelve US troops were injured, two of them seriously, in an Iranian military strike on Prince Sultan Air Base, a US official told Reuters on Friday.
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Iran has targeted key Saudi Aramco energy facilities, including the massive Ras Tanura refinery and a SAMREF refinery in Yanbu, causing fires and temporary shutdowns. These incidents, amid wider regional conflict involving US-Israeli strikes on Iran, forced a precautionary reduction in operations, sent Brent Crude prices up by 8-10% and disrupted global shipping. Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have engaged in broader conflict, increasing the risk of renewed attacks on Saudi infrastructure.
