New Delhi : India has not yet given any official reaction on the death of Ismail Haniyya, the head of Hamas' political wing in Iran. However, the way tensions between Iran and Israel have increased after Haniyya's death, the government is not only keeping a close eye on it, but there is also an intense discussion going on about the options to deal with the situation worsening in the Gulf region.

The Prime Minister's Office is also being constantly informed about the entire issue by the Ministry of External Affairs. Experts say that the situation in the Gulf region is linked to India's strategic interests in many ways, so the government is moving forward with greater caution. Both Iran and Israel are important for India's strategic interests and India is constantly engaged in establishing its contacts with them. In such a situation, India will react only after looking at the developments of the next few days.

Warning to Indian citizens in Lebanon

On the other hand, the Indian government has again warned its citizens living in Lebanon to leave Lebanon. This is the third warning issued in the last four days. This time it says that all Indians are strictly advised to leave Lebanon. Indians who are stuck there for some reason or the other should not go out, remain alert and stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Beirut.

Air India cancels flights to Israel

India issued the first such warning on July 29. After this, another advisory was issued on August 01. Meanwhile, Air India has canceled all its flights to Israel's capital Tel Aviv till August 08, 2024. All passengers will be given the flexibility to reschedule their journey once.

This clearly shows that the ongoing tension between Israel-Lebanon-Iran is likely to worsen, but there are not many Indians in these three countries right now. India's real problem is the impact of a war between these countries on the entire Gulf region.

impact on crude oil prices

In the international market, there has been a decrease in the price of crude oil in the last few days, but if there is a war between Iran and Israel, it will have a direct impact on crude oil. Today, India imports 85 percent of its crude oil requirement and 60 percent of the total consumption is taken from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq etc. In such a situation, there is a possibility of an impact on India's supply as well.

Concern over the safety of Indians living in Gulf countries

According to the data of the year 2021, there were 89 lakh Indians in the Gulf region, whose number is now likely to exceed 1.1 crore. It has also been seen in the past that when there is tension in the Gulf region, the exodus of Indians living in various countries there starts. Some Indians return home in view of the potential danger, while Indians working in the companies which are affected have to return. Indians living in the Gulf country sent foreign currency worth about $ 60 billion to their home in the year 2023. This strengthens the Indian economy.

Impact on growing business

The situation in the Gulf region also has a direct impact on the bilateral trade with these countries. Last year, India's bilateral trade with the UAE was $86 billion. While the trade with Saudi Arabia is $53 billion. India's bilateral trade with the Gulf countries was $185 billion in the year 2022-23.