New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told parliament that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has created “unprecedented challenges” for India and warned that its economic and security implications are likely to persist.Making his first statement in the Lok Sabha on the 24th day of the war, Modi opened on a note of concern. “This war has created unprecedented challenges for India,” he said, describing the fallout as economic, security and humanitarian, and noting that it has had a “very negative impact” on global economies and daily life.He acknowledged that the “difficult global situation may continue for a long time” and appealed for all parties to move towards dialogue and diplomacy.The statement, which lasted just around 25 minutes, came a day after Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to review India’s preparedness on food, energy, fuel and supply chains. The CCS meeting resulted in the creation of groups of ministers and secretaries to manage the fallout and prevent black-marketing and hoarding.Modi’s sudden appearance in the Lok Sabha on Monday came weeks after the opposition had been demanding a statement from him since the beginning of the second half of the budget session. Earlier this month, Modi made his first public remarks on the West Asia conflict at a rally in poll-bound Kerala despite parliament being in session. In those remarks, he attacked the opposition for “deliberately making provocative and irresponsible statements to worsen the situation” but said nothing about the US-Israeli attack on Iran or the assassination of its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While the treasury benches had not yielded to the opposition’s demands for a discussion in Parliament, both houses witnessed days of uproar, and opposition members held protests outside parliament against Modi’s silence and the impact of the conflict on India’s energy security. Union external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had delivered suo moto statements in the House, but no questions from opposition MPs were allowed.Having listed the gravity of the challenges, Modi spent much of his statement arguing that steps taken over the previous decade had positioned India to absorb the shock. He claimed that India had diversified energy imports from 27 to 41 countries, built a strategic petroleum reserve of more than 5 million metric tons, and raised ethanol blending in petrol from 1.5% to 20%. Solar capacity, he said, had grown from 3 GW to 140 GW over 11 years.He also pointed to the expansion of the metro rail network from under 250 km to 1,100 km, the addition of six urea plants, increased domestic fertiliser production and a record coal output of 1 billion tons annually.Despite the reassurances, concern was peppered through Modi’s statement. He termed the situation “worrisome” and said its impact on the global economy and people’s livelihoods was “very adverse”. “Energy is the backbone of the economy, and West Asia is its major source,” he noted.On the Strait of Hormuz, Modi said a large portion of India’s crude oil, gas, and fertiliser imports transited the waterway. India imports 60% of its energy needs for cooking gas, he pointed out, adding that domestic use of LPG has been prioritised. “Since the war, the movement of ships in the Hormuz Strait has become very challenging,” he stated.He said attacks on commercial vessels and obstacles to navigation through the strait were “unacceptable”, and that India was making diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe movement of Indian ships.Strait of HormuzSince March 1, at least 16 incidents on commercial vessels in West Asia have been listed by Lloyd’s List, with at least four drone attacks in Strait of Hormuz.On March 4, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had established “complete control” of the strait. IRGC naval commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri had stated a week later that every vessel intending to pass must obtain permission from Iran.Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father Ali Khamenei, killed in the US-Israeli strikes that opened the conflict, has declared in his first public statement that Tehran should use the leverage of the strait. At the same time, Iran has tried to project a more calibrated public position. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the strait is open to countries that seek Iran’s permission and that several ships from “different countries” have been allowed to pass. On March 13, Iran allowed two India-bound LPG tankers passage through the strait, a development the Indian government described as a diplomatic win. Modi conspicuously did not address the origins of the conflict. The war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury and Operation Lion’s Roar respectively, targeting Iran’s establishment, and killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with retaliatory missile and drone attacks on US military bases, Israeli territory, and Gulf states, and moved to blockade the strait.The closure has been described as the largest disruption to global energy supply ever, exceeding the 1970s energy crisis. Brent crude prices surpassed $100 per barrel on March 8 and peaked at around $119 per barrel by mid-March. Trump’s ultimatumOn Saturday night, Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to fully reopen the strait or face US strikes on its power plants. Iran’s military threatened to close the waterway and attack regional civilian infrastructure in Gulf states if the threat is carried out. Meanwhile, Iran’s defence council threatened to use mines to block the entire Persian Gulf if Tehran’s control of its coastal area was threatened. “The only way to pass through the Strait of Hormuz for non-belligerent countries is coordination with Iran,” the statement from the high-level security body said, according to the semi-official Fars News.After two Indian tankers transited earlier this month, Bloomberg reported on Monday that two more Indian-flagged very large gas carriers, the Jag Vasant and the Pine Gas, were making their way through the strait via the same Iran-approved coastal route, ship-tracking data showed. Together, the four vessels carry what India consumes in roughly two to three days, the report said.Indians living in the Gulf regionIn his speech, Modi mentioned nearly one crore Indians lived and worked in the Gulf region and that the number of Indian crew members on commercial ships operating there was significant. “The security of Indians is our greatest priority,” he said. He acknowledged that some lives had been lost and some people injured, saying families were being assisted and the injured were receiving treatment. While he didn’t cite a death toll, at least six Indians have been killed in the conflict so far.He said India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had cancelled class 10 and 12 examinations in Gulf countries and was taking steps to ensure continuity of education.Modi said since the start of the war, more than 375,000 Indians had returned to India safely. While the prime minister didn’t mention it, these Indians returned on commercial flights.On the diplomatic front, Modi said he had spoken to most West Asian leaders in two rounds of calls and received assurances for the safety of Indians. On March 21, he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the second time, conveying Eid and Nowruz greetings while reiterating the importance of freedom of navigation and keeping shipping lanes open.Criticism of government responseThe opposition has criticised the government’s response, accusing it of failing to condemn the killing of Iran’s head of state, offering no concrete roadmap on energy security, and weakening India’s position as BRICS chair by appearing aligned with the US-Israeli stance and not shaping a common position.The government has also faced sharp criticism over the timing of Modi’s visit to Israel, which concluded just two days before the strikes on Iran began. India further drew scrutiny for co-sponsoring a United Nations Security Council resolution, a Gulf Cooperation Council-led initiative backed by 135 countries, that condemned Iran’s actions against its neighbours and called for an end to threats to maritime routes.The prime minister did not address these criticisms directly, but reiterated that India stands for “dialogue and diplomacy”. Just like his cabinet colleagues, Modi’s address on Monday concluded without any questions being taken, as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla moved the House to legislative business immediately after the prime minister finished speaking.