India stands with UAE as Modi condemns attacks, urges de-escalation

In a move that underscored close ties between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke late Sunday night with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He strongly condemned the attacks on the Gulf nation and said India stands in solidarity during these difficult times.

Modi also thanked MBZ for looking after the Indian community in the UAE and reaffirmed New Delhi's support for de-escalation, regional peace, security and stability in the Gulf.

The call comes as reports from the UAE indicate casualties and damage as Iran's retaliatory strikes escalate tensions in the region. UAE officials said three people have died and 58 were injured since the attacks began. The defence ministry said it intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, destroyed 152, and 13 missiles fell into the sea, along with two cruise missiles and hundreds of drones. The broader conflict has also touched the wider region with reports that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Tehran, according to Iranian state media.

Meanwhile, Indian airlines canceled about 350 flights to West Asia and beyond as the region reels from the crisis. Modi's message emphasized that India supports de-escalation and regional peace while standing with its citizens and partners in the Gulf.

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