India on Tuesday issued a condemnation over Iranian attack on the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that left three Indian nationals injured. This comes amid rising tensions between United States and Iran. In its statement, the Foreign Ministry called the attack as “unacceptable”. The statement followed UAE, an important US ally, said it had come under attack from Iran for the very first tine since a fragile ceasefire came into effect in April.
“The attack on Fujairah that resulted in injury to three Indian nationals is unacceptable. We call for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians,” Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
The foreign ministry said that New Delhi remains committed for dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation so that peace and stability restored across the Middle Eastern region.
“We also call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law. India stands ready to support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of issues,” the post added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attacks on the UAE. He also said targeting civilians and infrastructure is “unacceptable.”
PM Modi wrote on X, “India stands in firm solidarity with the UAE and reiterates its support for the peaceful resolution of all issues through dialogue and diplomacy.”
UAE’s statement on the attack
The Emirati Defence Ministry said that its air defence systems intercepted 15 missiles and four drones launched by Iran. Meanwhile, authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah reported that a drone strike triggered a fire at its largest oil facility, injuring three Indian nationals working there.
The British military reported that two cargo vessels were on fire off the coast of the Emirates.
Attack ‘not planned’: Iran
Iran did not clearly confirmed or denied the attack, however early on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that both the US and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire.”
In similarly vague language, Iranian state television earlier cited an unnamed military official who said that Tehran had “no plans” to target the UAE or its oil facilities.
“The incident resulted from US military adventurism to create an illegal passage,” the official said vis a vis oil facility attack, possibly referring to US President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint for global energy.
