India Condemns Middle East Attacks at UN Security Council

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, called for an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East during a United Nations Security Council debate on October 16, 2026. Parvathaneni described the escalation as "deeply worrying," specifically condemning attacks on civilian infrastructure, including Saudi airports. He noted that a strike in Riyadh resulted in the death of an Indian citizen, Mohammad Yousef Ali.

Addressing maritime security, Parvathaneni denounced attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers, citing threats to the India-flagged MV DP World Cauvery, MT Petro Dolphin, and MT Valthera. He emphasized that India has high stakes in the region's stability, given ten million Indian residents in the area and 180 billion dollars in annual trade with Gulf Cooperation Council countries. To mitigate these risks, India highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal for a Seafarers Emergency Support Network and the launch of a 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers' alongside Liberia and 23 other states.

India further advocated for the protection of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Southern Red Sea, while reaffirming the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. On the broader regional crisis, India reiterated its support for a negotiated two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, noting its 52 million dollars in cumulative contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency. Parvathaneni also called for the protection of UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon.