Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a meeting with senior ministers today evening to review the status of the power, petroleum and fertiliser sectors. This comes amid impact on the energy sectors from the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, PTI reported citing sources.

PM Modi will chair the meeting later in the day on Sunday (22 March), they stated.

Agenda: What is expected to be discussed?

According to the report, the high-level meeting will focus on discussions over ensuring the steady supply and energy imports, stable logistics plan and efficient distribution across the country. The sources added that the Centre is “taking proactive steps to this end”.

“Continuous monitoring of global developments to protect consumer and industry interests is the key focus of the government,” they added.

How has Centre responded to West Asia war impact so far?

On 12 March, PM Modi noted that the war in West Asia has triggered a worldwide energy crisis. He added that this poses a critical test of national character that requires dealing with circumstances through peace, patience, and increased public awareness.

The prime minister further emphasised that the Centre is working relentlessly to address disruptions that have emerged in international supply chains. “Continuous efforts are also underway to determine how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain,” Modi said.

Since the war began on February 28 after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran over alleged nuclear capabilities, the prime minister has spoken to many global leaders. Iran has since retaliated by attacking Israel and several of its Gulf neighbours for being allies of the Washington and Tel Aviv.

Why is India feeling heat from Middle East situation?

The situation in West Asia has raised concerns for India, which relies heavily on the Middle East for its energy requirements. Reduced supply from one of its largest suppliers could impact both availability and pricing in the domestic market.

Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, which transports 20% of the world’s fuel supply (85-90% of India’s LPG imports from West Asia, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar), and has allowed very few ships to cross since the war began.

Since the conflict, Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders from Bahrain, France, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as per the report.

Iran launched strikes on two communities near Israel’s main nuclear research center late Saturday, causing widespread damage to buildings and leaving at least seven people seriously injured. The attack came just hours after Iran’s primary nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz was hit, as the conflict escalated sharply at the start of its fourth week.The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies”, Iran’s representative to the UN maritime agency said on Sunday, after US President Donald Trump threatened to target Iranian power plants if the waterway was not “fully open” within 48 hours.“This is a very difficult evening,” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, adding that more emergency resources were being sent to the scene. “The war is not close to ending,” Israel’s army chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir, said earlier in the day, as reported by AP.

(With inputs from PTI, Agencies)