Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday condemned strikes on Gulf energy facilities as "unacceptable", as fresh attacks on gas hubs heightened global concern amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the attacks "deeply disturbing" and reiterated New Delhi's call to avoid targeting energy infrastructure, warning they risk worsening global energy flows.
"India had previously called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region. Recent attacks against energy installations in different locations across this region are therefore deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario for the whole world," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
"Such attacks are unacceptable and need to cease," he added.
Jaiswal also said the country's energy supplies had already been impacted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. "Now with the latest attacks our LNG supply is going to be impacted," he said.
"We are in touch with all the stakeholders there to see how best we can secure our energy needs and ensure unimpeded transit for our cargo," the MEA spokesperson added.
Notably, Qatar's main gas facility has suffered extensive damage after several rounds of Iranian strikes, raising fresh energy supply concerns as the Middle East war grinds on.
Iran hit the Ras Laffan refinery, the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, on Wednesday in retaliation for an Israeli attack on its South Pars gas field. The attacks on Ras Laffan and other energy facilities drove Brent crude up more than 10% at one point to over $119 a barrel, before prices pared gains.
The assault on Ras Laffan has also stoked fears of wider disruptions to fuel supplies, including for India, which relies on Qatar for over 40% of its LNG needs — crucial for power generation, industry, fertiliser production and household cooking.
Qatar is one of the world's top LNG producers, alongside the United States, Australia and Russia. With gas shipments already reduced, New Delhi fears a fresh supply crunch, rising costs and deeper economic strain across sectors dependent on steady imports.
Energy prices have already surged globally since tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — which normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil and LNG — was brought to a near standstill by the threat of Iranian attacks. As many as 22 Indian ships with over 600 crew are stuck in the Gulf as the key energy corridor remains disrupted.
