LIVE: PM Modi speaks to Trump on Strait of Hormuz crisis

Makkal Needhi Maiam opts out of TN election race

Breaking: Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam opts out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections over seat-sharing disagreements.

West Asia crisis: PM Modi speaks to Trump

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (March 24) spoke to US President Donald Trump, focusing on the crisis in the Middle East, US envoy Sergio Gor said.

"President Donald Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. They discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open," Gor said on social media.

EAM Jaishankar spoke to Rubio on West Asia conflict: MEA

India’s diplomatic outreach has intensified as tensions in West Asia continue to ripple through energy markets and regional stability calculations.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the External Affairs Minister held a series of conversations on Tuesday, beginning with Washington. “External Affairs Minister yesterday spoke with US Secretary of State. The two leaders discussed the situation in West Asia and its impact on the international economy, with particular focus on energy security concerns,” he said.

The minister also reached out within the neighbourhood. “EAM also spoke with his counterpart, Vijitha Herath, the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka. Both leaders discussed the repercussions of this ongoing conflict,” Jaiswal noted, adding that “External Affairs Minister reaffirmed India's commitment to Neighbourhood First and Mission MAHASAGAR.”

Engagement extended to Gulf nations as well. “External Affairs Minister met with all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) ambassadors here in Delhi yesterday,” he said.

Those discussions centred on the evolving situation and the welfare of Indians in the region. “There again, he exchanged views on the ongoing conflict in West Asia and thanked each one of them for their continued support to the Indian community in the region.”

Indian ships safe in Gulf; LPG carriers headed to India: Shipping Ministry

Indian-flagged vessels operating in the Gulf region remain safe, with no recent disruptions reported, the Ministry of Shipping said on Tuesday.

Rajesh Sinha, Special Secretary, said authorities are closely monitoring movements in the region. “All Indian ships and sailors in the Gulf region are safe. No maritime incidents have been reported in the last 24 hours,” he said.

Two LPG carriers have already cleared a key chokepoint and are on course for India. “Late last evening, two Indian-flagged LPG carriers, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, both are loaded with LPG. Both vessels safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are headed towards India,” Sinha noted.

He provided details of their cargo and schedules. “Pine Gas is carrying 45,000 metric tons of LPG and is due to arrive at the New Mangalore Port, likely in the morning of March 27th,” he said. “The other LPG carrier vessel, Jag Vasant, is carrying approximately 47,600 metric tons of LPG and is headed towards Kandla, with an estimated arrival date of March 26th.”

Fleet presence in the Gulf remains steady. “Thus, with the departure of these two ships from the Persian Gulf, there are now 20 Indian-flagged ships, carrying 540 Indian sailors, in the Persian Gulf...No congestion has been reported at any port...” he added.

LPG supply hit by geopolitics, Govt says stocks adequate

Liquefied petroleum gas supplies have come under some pressure due to the wider geopolitical climate, though officials say deliveries remain on track and stocks are holding.

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, acknowledged the strain but stressed there has been no disruption at the consumer end. “The supply of LPG is affected due to the prevailing geopolitical situation. But a lot of cargo has been lined up, and no dry out has been reported at the LPG distributorships,” she said.

Concerns over availability appeared to trigger a brief spike in demand. “Yesterday, we also observed some panic booking. But the delivery was normal...” Sharma noted, pointing to steady last-mile operations despite the uptick.

She added that inventory levels remain comfortable across fuels. “Sufficient stocks are available. There is an adequate supply of petrol and diesel,” she said.

Domestic gas access, officials maintain, has not been curtailed. “LPG cylinders are also being given to all domestic consumers. PNG supply is 100% for domestic consumers.”

Fuel supplies stable, Govt urges public to avoid panic buying

Fuel supplies across the country remain stable, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said, pushing back against concerns triggered by scattered reports of shortages.

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), said operations at fuel stations are continuing without disruption. “There is normal operation on all the retail outlets... We have sufficient petrol and diesel available at our fuel stations,” she said.

Authorities attributed recent queues at some pumps to panic buying rather than any supply issue. Sharma urged restraint, adding, “Please don't believe in rumours and avoid panic buying.”

At the same time, the government has directed faster rollout of piped natural gas connections for key institutions. “Yesterday, PNGRB (Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board) issued an order and directed all the CGD (City Gas Distribution) entities to provide PNG connections to residential schools, colleges, hostels, community kitchens, Anganwadi kitchens, et cetera, within five days, wherever pipeline infrastructure is available in the near vicinity,” she said.

No talks held with US, says Iran

Donald Trump has said the two countries had held talks in the past 24 hours and reached "major points of agreement" — raising hopes that a deal to end the conflict could be within reach. 

Iran has flatly denied it. The foreign ministry spokesperson said no contact had taken place with the United States since the bombing campaign began 24 days ago. 

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will continue to strike Iran and Lebanon even as the US considers a ceasefire. "There's more to come," he said.

West Asia conflict's effects can last long, but govt is prepared for it: PM Modi

“State government has to focus on the challenges of hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities. I want to urge the state governments to ensure that we keep fast tracking reforms to deal with such crises. Only then the Central and State governments can successfully face this challenge. The situation is changing at every moment. The effect of the war can be long drawn. But the government is prepared for it,” says PM Modi. 

PM Modi urges unity as Gulf Indians, Hormuz crews face risk

"About 1 crore Indians live and work in the Gulf countries. Safeguarding their life and livelihoods is a matter of great concern for India. Several ships are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. Indian crew members are stuck on those ships in large numbers. This too is a cause of major concern for India. In such a difficult situation, it is important that India's Upper House sends out a united voice of peace and dialogue," says PM Modi. 

PM Modi flags push to cut energy, shipping import dependence

“Our government’s effort is aimed at ensuring that we don’t become too dependent on one source of energy. We have boosted domestic production of LPG. We are aiming for becoming self-sustaining in energy imports. Our energy imports are a dependent on foreign ships which can be a cause concern. So we have taken several initiatives to boost domestic ship building capacity. We are also focusing on reducing import dependence in terms of rare earth minerals,” says PM Modi.