The Indian embassy in Qatar has denied claims of deaths of Indian nationals in the country, amid multiple explosions in Doha, the AFP has reported.
Gulf countries have come under renewed Iranian attack of drones and missiles on Monday as the war continues between Israel-United States and Iran, which has been carrying out retaliatory attacks on vital installations in the Gulf countries, including American assets, since the beginning of this war on February 28.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in the attacks carried out by the US and Israel, in an operation they have named Operation “Epic Fury”. While the drones and missiles have hit targets over the past more than a week, throwing businesses and airspace off grid in Gulf countries, Qatar's Defence Ministry on Monday said that its forces had successfully intercepted a missile attack.
Also Read: US-Iran War News Live Updates: UAE Air Defences Intercept 15 missiles, 119 UAVs From Iran
A social media post, following the attacks in Doha, had claimed that Indian nationals were killed in the explosions. Following the claims, the Indian Embassy in Qatar took to X and issued a clarification.
“This is to clarify that the Embassy of India, Qatar, has not made such an announcement. We do not have reports of Indian deaths in Qatar in the ongoing conflict so far. We hope and pray for the safety of everyone,” the embassy responded to a now-deleted social media post.
Why Is Iran Targeting Gulf Countries?
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has maintained that the strikes were aimed at the US bases in these countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and some other countries. “The Iranian armed forces consider as legitimate targets the sites from which the US and the Zionist operations were carried out,” Araghchi has been quoted as saying.
The Iranian strikes on the Gulf countries have targeted airports, residential areas, refineries, desalination plants, and other important installations. Businesses in the Gulf countries have been thrown into disarray as expats scramble to flee these countries.
Iranian ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has, in a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, warned that US bases, facilities and assets would be Iran's legitimate target.
Flight operations have been severely hampered in these countries, with some of them even facing a food shortage crisis. The Gulf countries get most of their fresh food from abroad, through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed by the Iranian authorities.
Also Read: India Backs Dialogue, Prioritises Safety Of Indians Amid West Asia Conflict: Jaishankar
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