New Delhi [India], March 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condemned recent strikes on energy infrastructure in Qatar by Iran, while expressing India's solidarity with the Gulf nation amid ongoing regional tensions.
During a telephonic conversation with the Amir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, PM Modi also conveyed warm Eid greetings to the Amir and the people of Qatar and also expressed gratitude for the care and support extended to the Indian community in Qatar and voiced hope for peace and stability in the region.
"Spoke with my brother, H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, and conveyed warm Eid greetings to him and the people of Qatar. Reiterated that we stand in solidarity with Qatar and strongly condemn the attacks on the region's energy infrastructure," PM Modi stated in a post on X.
The Prime Minister further underlined India's position on maritime security, stating that the country supports safe and free navigation through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
"Expressed gratitude for the care and support provided to the Indian community and hoped for peace and stability to prevail in the region. We stand for safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz," his post added.
The conversation comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia, with several countries in the region witnessing disruptions impacting energy infrastructure and global supply chains.
Earlier, Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City was hit by ballistic missiles from Iran, resulting in extensive damage, as per the country's Ministry of Defence. The attack is the second-largest at the liquefaction facility in the world.
According to QatarEnergy, several of its LNG facilities were also subject to Iranian missile attacks after the attack on Ras Laffan.
"In addition to the previous attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City on Wednesday that resulted in extensive damage to the Pearl GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) facility, QatarEnergy confirms that in the early hours of Thursday, several of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities were the subject of missile attacks, causing sizeable fires and extensive further damage. Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting damage with no reported casualties," it stated.
This strike comes in retaliation from Iran after Israel struck the Islamic Republic's South Pars Gas field.
The attack on Iran's Gas field and Qatar's LNG facilities has sent energy prices up further, with little sign of any resolution to the conflict soon.