PM Modi Chairs CCS Meeting; Strategies Discussed For West Asia Conflict And Stranded Indians
The CCS meeting was held shortly after Modi arrived at around 9.30 pm following his two-day tour of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Published : March 2, 2026 at 6:48 AM IST
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday night chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to take stock of the situation emerging in the wake of the attack on Iran by the US and Israel and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Committee urged all relevant departments to promptly implement necessary measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the situation, emphasising the importance of quickly ending hostilities and returning to dialogue and diplomacy.
The CCS meeting was held shortly after Modi arrived in the national capital at around 9.30 pm following his two-day tour of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
An official statement said the CCS met to review the evolving situation in West Asia, and was briefed on the air strikes in Iran on February 28 and the subsequent escalation, including attacks in several Gulf countries.
"It expressed serious concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the region," the statement said. The CCS also reviewed the difficulties faced by Indian travellers transiting the region and students appearing for scheduled examinations, as well as the broader implications for regional security and economic and commercial activities.
"The CCS directed all concerned departments to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments. It underscored the importance of an early cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy," the statement said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the meeting.
The CCS meeting was also attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Principal Secretaries to the Prime Minister P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, was briefed by top officials on the prevailing situation in West Asia and its implications on India.
Currently, the airspace of West Asia is almost closed. With flight services disrupted due to the military escalation in West Asia, hundreds of Indians are stranded in Dubai, Doha and other key airports in the region, with many taking to social media to appeal to the Indian government for assistance.
There are around 10,000 Indian citizens who live, study and work in Iran, while over 40,000 live in Israel. The number of Indians living in the Gulf and West Asia is about nine million.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the United States early Saturday. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old's death early Sunday. US President Donald Trump said it gave the Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back their country”.
The heavy and pinpoint bombing was to continue through the week or as long as necessary, Trump said. Iran responded to the assault by firing drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf region, and also at the global business hub of Dubai.
On Sunday, mourners belonging to the Shia community took to the streets in various parts of India to express outrage and grief over the killing of Khamenei.
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