External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conducted urgent telephone discussions with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday evening, focusing on the rapidly deteriorating security situation in West Asia.

In a post on X, Jaishankar confirmed his telecon with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, noting that the conversation centred on ongoing regional developments tied to the intensifying conflict.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry echoed this in an official statement, revealing that Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the call from Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to deliberate on recent events and related diplomatic efforts.

Jaishankar also spoke with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, exchanging perspectives on multiple facets of the volatile regional landscape, as detailed in another X post.

These high-level exchanges come against a backdrop of heightened tensions, triggered by joint US-Israeli military operations against Iran that commenced on 28 February.

Saudi Arabia's air defences have been under severe strain, intercepting and destroying at least 10 Iranian drones on Sunday alone across key areas including Riyadh, the eastern regions, and Al-Jawf in the north.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence reported four drones neutralised over the Riyadh metropolitan area, following the downing of two more in the east just an hour earlier, and seven others earlier in the day.

This barrage forms part of a sustained campaign of Iranian drone and missile strikes on the Kingdom since late February, resulting in at least two fatalities and 12 injuries, according to reports from Al Jazeera.

Kuwait, too, has faced direct threats, with its Defence Ministry confirming that three drones targeted Kuwait International Airport, inflicting damage on the radar infrastructure.

Kuwaiti forces additionally destroyed five other drones, while a separate strike hit a military facility at Ali Al Salem base, which houses American and Italian personnel.

Italian military officials, via Chief of the Defence General Staff Luciano Portolano, stated on X that the drone impacted a shelter used by the Italian Task Force Air, destroying a remotely piloted aircraft on site.

Fortunately, no personnel were injured in the Kuwait incident, mirroring a prior drone attack last week on an Italian site in Erbil, northern Iraq, which prompted Rome to withdraw approximately 300 troops.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi addressed these developments in interviews, asserting Tehran's readiness to establish a joint investigative committee with regional states to probe the airstrikes.

Speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Araghchi emphasised that Iranian actions have exclusively targeted US bases and interests, distancing them from broader aggression.

In a CBS interview, he dismissed notions of an existential war for Iran, declaring the regime "stable and strong enough" to weather the storm.

Araghchi further took to X to criticise US leadership, referencing unverified claims about a family of an American soldier killed in the conflict relying on public donations, while blaming poor advice to the President for the escalation.

Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, similarly used X to deny any animosity towards the American people, while alleging a conspiracy by remnants of Jeffrey Epstein's network to stage a 9/11-style incident and falsely implicate Iran.

These statements from Iranian officials underscore Tehran's narrative of restraint amid the proxy escalations, even as Gulf states bolster defences against persistent aerial incursions.

India's proactive diplomatic outreach via Jaishankar signals New Delhi's intent to safeguard its strategic interests in the Gulf, a vital hub for energy supplies and expatriate communities, while navigating the broader US-Iran-Israel triangle.

The flurry of drone interceptions and base attacks highlights the fragility of regional stability, with potential ripple effects on global oil markets and maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

As the conflict enters its third week, multilateral de-escalation efforts remain elusive, leaving Gulf allies increasingly reliant on advanced air defence systems to counter Iran's asymmetric drone warfare.

ANI