Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (March 19, 2026)

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson:Good evening, friends. Let's begin our conversation.

The floor is open. We start from here.

Vinayak Dixit, RT India: Sir, Vinayak Dixit from RT India. Ukraine has called the arrest of six of its nationals as politically motivated. They have also rejected the claim that they were in fact involved in promoting terror activities in India and they have called for their immediate release. What is your response on this?

Another question, sir, how is India balancing its ties with Israel considering it also has a 10-year interest in the Chabahar port in Iran? Also, has India talked to Israel about its interest in the Chabahar port since the recent round of hostilities has begun?

Sidhant, WION:Hi sir, Sidhant from WION. How does India assess the situation in Afghanistan? We have seen the Indian reaction over Pakistani airstrikes on a Kabul hospital, but overall in terms of regional stability?

Keshav Padmanabhan, ThePrint: Sir, thank you. Keshav Padmanabhan from ThePrint. Just on the arrest of the six Ukrainian nationals, the Ukrainian Mission here has called for consular access. I just wanted to understand whether India has received such a request and whether it is considering and will follow the procedures to give them the consular access. The second question is with regards to our neighborhood and the West Asian crisis. Can you give us a sense of how much energy India has sent to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and what are sort of discussions with regards to that? Thank you.

Akhilesh Suman, DD News:Sir, main Akhilesh Suman hoon DD News se. Actually, Strait of Hormuz ke chalte poori duniya mein problem hai. Global South ke kin-kin deshon ne humse madad ki maang ki hai, aur humne kin-kin deshon ko madad diya hai abhi tak?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi]Sir, I am Akhilesh Suman from DD News. Due to the Strait of Hormuz situation, there is a problem across the world. Which countries of the Global South have sought our help, and which countries have we provided assistance to so far?

Krishan Mohan Sharma, Bharat Express: Sir, Krishan Mohan Sharma Bharat Express se. Tulsi Gabbard ka ek bayaan hai ki Pakistan is a nuclear threat. Ispe humne pehle bhi chinta zahir ki hai aur jis tareeqe ki baatein aa rahi hain ispe Bharat ka kya reaction hai?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I am Krishan Mohan Sharma from Bharat Express. Tulsi Gabbard has made a statement that Pakistan is a nuclear threat. We have expressed concern about this earlier as well, and in light of the kind of statements now coming out, what is India's reaction to this?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So, let me first take these questions. First, your question. Obviously, you all know about the case and we are also aware of the case. As you know that this is a legal matter, the relevant GOI agencies are investigating it presently. We had a related question from Keshav as to whether we have received consular access request. Yes, we have received consular access request, and these will be addressed keeping in mind the legal requirements that are involved in this particular case.

Your second question regarding Chabahar, I had commented and remarked on this particular issue earlier as well. So, I would repeat what I had said before. The US side has given a guidance extending the conditional sanctions waiver for Chabahar port until 26th of April 2026. The government remains engaged with all concerned in order to address the implications of these developments. So, that is what we have.

On the ongoing crisis in West Asia, we have made several statements as to where we stand, what is our position, how we look at it. We have called for restraint, we have called for de-escalation, we have called for dialogue and diplomacy so that there can be early end to this particular conflict. So, that is where we are on the West Asia crisis.

Sidhant, your question regarding … over the last several days or so we have seen strikes from Pakistan into Afghanistan. We have condemned these strikes because they have targeted civilian infrastructure, and they have caused a lot of misery to people. You would have seen our statement. We once again unequivocally condemn these barbaric airstrikes from Pakistan into Afghanistan. Obviously, it vitiates the atmosphere in the region, and it is not helpful at all.

Keshav, on your consular access bit, I just responded. About energy, we have received requests from several of our neighbouring countries, and I had spoken about it earlier as well. We have received requests from Bangladesh, from Sri Lanka, from Maldives and some other neighbouring countries. As I had indicated earlier, India has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh since 2007 through various modes of transportation. We are continuing to assist Bangladesh and our other neighbours even currently. This is being done factoring in our own requirement, our refining capacity, and our diesel availability.

Akhilesh ji, kin-kin deshon se madad ki maang aayi hai … Maine kaha, Bangladesh se, Sri Lanka se, Maldives se humare paas anurodh aaya hai ki hum unki madad karein. Bahut saare deshon ke saath humari pehle se hi, urja ke kshetra mein, sajhedari chal rahi hai. Toh woh sajhedari chal rahi hai, aur abhi ke pariprekshya mein unhone maanga hai madad. Us pe hum log … Bangladesh ka jaise bataya maine ki unki poorti ki ja rahi hai, aur anya deshon ka jo bhi anurodh hai usko hum log examine kar rahe hain.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi]Akhilesh ji, on which countries have requested assistance… As I mentioned, we have received requests from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives asking for our help. We already have ongoing partnerships with many countries in the energy sector. Those partnerships are continuing, and in the current context, they have sought assistance. As I said regarding Bangladesh, their requirements are being met, and we are examining the requests received from other countries as well.

Krishan Mohan ji, aapka sawaal, kuch bayaan jo aaya America, uske taraf se. Dekhiye, jahan tak Pakistan ka sawaal hai, unka ek itihas raha hai. Clandestine nuclear proliferation ka itihas raha hai. Aur is prakar ke bayaan se woh fir jag-zahir ho jata hai ki kis prakar ka khatra yeh duniya ko … inke clandestine nuclear operations ke karan, kis prakar ka khatra duniya ke samne aata hai.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Krishan Mohan ji, regarding your question about the statement that has come from the United States-look, as far as Pakistan is concerned, it has a certain history. It has a history of clandestine nuclear proliferation, and statements like these once again make it evident what kind of threat their actions pose to the world. Due to their clandestine nuclear operations, the kind of danger that emerges before the global community becomes clear.

Ayushi Agarwal, ANI: Sir, this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. My question is regarding the recent meeting between our National Security Advisor and US Ambassador to India yesterday. Could you share the topics that were discussed and how much was West Asia situation discussed as well?

Yeshi Seli, Business India: This is Yeshi Seli from Business India. I have two questions. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of UAE had spoken with Dr. Jaishankar. What was the nature of conversation? Were they asking for India's opinion or were they asking them to join the discussions that they have? And secondly, the Finnish President also in an interview said that India could get involved and arrive at a ceasefire. So, has India been trying to reach that situation where they can talk to both parties?

William, CNA: Good afternoon, sir. This is William from CNA Taiwan. My question is due to the ongoing conflict in Iran, energy supplies are experiencing shortage and LPG, CNG prices are getting very high and even you can't buy it in some areas. So, may I ask what measures the Indian government is taking to face this issue? Thank you.

Megha, NewsX:Good evening, sir. Megha from NewsX. There are reports that are floating that seven oil tankers that were bound for China at this point of time are on their way to dock in India. And these all carry Russian crude. Could you affirm if this information is correct? And also in the Ukrainian Embassy readout, they have said that the proceedings of the NIA were initiated after information was provided by Russia. Could you shed more light into this?

Jessica, Doordarshan:Hi sir, this is Jessica for Doordarshan Network. Recently, there was a Reuters report which had cited four Indian sources stating that India will hold off on signing a trade deal with US for several months. Is that correct, and any comments on that?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So, Ayushi, first to your question regarding conversation between National Security Advisor and the Ambassador of the United States. These are normal conversations that keep happening. Both sides discussed issues of bilateral importance. Obviously, all the issues that are in the gamut of the bilateral arena are discussed in these issues.

Yeshi on your question, yes, External Affairs Minister has spoken to his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates. He has been speaking to several other Foreign Ministers, including in GCC and West Asia, and they have exchanged perspectives on the developments that are happening there. You know our position, where we stand on the West Asia conflict. We have been reiterating that there should be an early end to this conflict, keeping in mind that the best way forward is to take the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

Again, on the question regarding the Finnish President, we have been talking to all sides. Today also, our Prime Minister spoke to the Sultan of Oman. He also spoke to the President of France, as also the Prime Minister of Malaysia. So, global leaders have been talking to each other. Our Prime Minister has been talking to each other, emphasising how we look at the situation and what is our priority, how we should go forward.

On William, on energy supply. Yes, you know, it has been a matter of concern as you know that energy shipping routes have been impacted. On ours, here in India, the Ministry of Petroleum, every day we have daily press briefings on this particular aspect. Supply of LPG is a matter of concern. Therefore, we are prioritising domestic consumption, domestic consumers first. Their needs will be taken care of, and then we'll see how we deal with how we supply LPG to commercial establishments. But that is a matter of concern because of a shortage of supply.

We had two tankers which came in recently. Those two tankers have given us more supply in the pipeline. And hopefully, we are also trying to diversify our sources, looking for LPG supply from other parts of the world. So hopefully, we are at it, we are working and we'll do our best to secure our energy security needs.

Megha, see, we buy oil from across the world. So, if there are tankers coming from X part of the world or Y part of the world, it is normal. We'll have many more tankers coming because we are buying energy. We are buying oil. We are buying crude oil from various parts of the world, and we have diversified options in this regard, and this will continue. I saw that there was a lot of news about one particular vessel, but we are buying from various sources including Russia. So, I don't see why it should become such big news. There are several vessels which will be docking and it's a continuous process.

On the Ukrainian Embassy issue, I just said that this is a legal matter. It is under investigation presently, and we'll see how we take it forward. Consular access has been requested. We will look into it as per the legal requirements that are there in the case.

Jessica, your question regarding Reuters. See, we saw the report. It is not accurate. Both India and the United States remain in close touch on all trade matters. So, that is where it is. It's not an accurate reflection of where we are on that particular issue.

Santosh Thakur, Navbharat: Sir, main Santosh Thakur, Navbharat se. Mere do sawal hain. Ek toh sir aapne kaha ki gas bhi hum jo hai kai anya deshon se bhi kharidne ke liye prayas kar rahe hain. Toh kin-kin deshon se kar rahe hain sir, kya Russia bhi usme shamil hai? Ek. Aur doosra sir ye abhi jo Iran aur jo uske aas paas ke yuddh grast prabhavit kshetra hain, wahan pe sir bhartiya jo hain, kitne bhartiya fanse hue hain ya aur kin-kin pradeshon ke hain agar uska koi sankhya ho toh? Thank you.

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I am Santosh Thakur from Navbharat. I have two questions. First, sir, you mentioned that we are making efforts to purchase gas from several other countries as well. Which countries are we engaging with-does Russia also figure among them?

Second, sir, regarding the current war-affected regions in and around Iran, how many Indians are stranded there? And if possible, could you share which regions they belong to? Thank you.

Dheeraj:Sir, energy infrastructure pe jo hamle hue Paschim Asia mein uske baad sankat ye lagatar badhta ja raha hai. Toh jo hamare aur bhi dusre jagahon se import karte hain LNG, toh kin-kin deshon se hum vikalp talash rahe hain? Iske alawa LPG mein kahan-kahan se vikalp talash rahe hain?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi]Sir, after the attacks on energy infrastructure in West Asia, the crisis seems to be continuously intensifying. In this context, for the LNG that we import from other regions, which countries are we exploring as alternative sources? Additionally, for LPG, from which places are we looking for alternatives?

Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu: Suhasini Haidar from The Hindu. I just see that you've put out a statement on attacks against energy infrastructure in West Asia. This was started by Israeli strikes on the South Pars gas field. I wanted to ask if there's a shift in the Indian government's thinking given that in the last two weeks, three weeks of this war, India has consistently condemned Iran's attacks, but not any attacks by US and Israel. The fact that the latest statement does not name any country, is that now India's position?

My second question is that it's been a week since Prime Minister Modi spoke to the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and they had discussed and then I think External Affairs Minister spoke to his counterpart discussing the possibility of a BRICS statement on West Asia. You've been referring to it in some of your press conferences and the Multi-Ministerial as well. My question is, a week into this effort to find a BRICS statement, has India failed in producing consensus within the BRICS countries? I ask this because on March 4th, the SCO actually put out a statement. BRICS has had no statement so far. And if you could tell us where those negotiations are.

Sandra, DW:Good evening. Sandra from DW. I have a question regarding the Indian seafarers being the backbone of the maritime workforce. Thousands of them stuck on vessels west of the Strait of Hormuz. What is India doing to secure their safety, or to have them disembark and maybe return home via a different route?

Reza, Hindustan Times: Reza from Hindustan Times. Given the fact that Qatar accounts for almost 40% of our LNG requirements, is there any view on the latest attack and how that could possibly impact supplies to us? And there are reports that a large number of girl students from Kashmir are currently in Azerbaijan. Could we have any updates on what is being done, what is the process now for them to return from both Azerbaijan and Armenia, the people who have gone from Iran?

Neeraj Dubey Prabhasakshi: Sir, namaskar main Neeraj Dubey Prabhasakshi se. Sir, West Asia mein conflict shuru hone ke baad se Bharatiya Videsh Mantralaya ne ek control room banaya tha dootawason ke star par bhi aur nai Delhi mein bhi. Toh ismein ab tak koi andaja ya aankda hai ki kitne anurodh prapt hue aur kinko suljhaya gaya kitne muddon ko?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, greetings, I am Neeraj Dubey from Prabhasakshi. Sir, after the conflict began in West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs had set up a control room, both at the embassy level and in New Delhi. So far, is there any estimate or data on how many requests have been received and how many issues have been resolved?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. So, first question, Santosh ji, gas ki baat. Kya hum Russia se LPG khareed rahe hain? LPG hum sabhi jagah se hum khareedne ki koshish kar rahe hain jahan uplabdh hai. Toh agar usmein Russia uplabdh hoga toh wahan bhi jayenge kyunki sthiti is prakar ki hai abhi ki humko sunishchit yeh karna hai ki hamare log ka jo indhan ka jo unki zarooratein hain unki pura ho, woh pura ho. Kin-kin deshon se kar rahe hain, main yeh bata sakta hoon ki bahut sare deshon se kar rahe hain. Ab unmein kaun-kaun sa desh hai woh beora hamare paas nahi hai. In sab jankari ke liye Ministry of Petroleum aapko zyada behtar bata payega. Lekin main yeh keh sakta hoon ki hum log chah rahe hain ki hamare vikalp bahut sare hon.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Okay. So, first question-Santosh ji-regarding gas. Are we purchasing LPG from Russia? We are trying to procure LPG from all possible sources where it is available. So, if Russia is available as a source, we will go there as well, because the current situation is such that we must ensure that the fuel needs of our people are met.

As for which countries specifically we are sourcing from, I can say that we are engaging with many countries. However, I do not have the exact details of which specific countries are included. For that detailed information, the Ministry of Petroleum would be better placed to respond. But I can say that we are trying to ensure we have multiple options available.

Doosra hai Iran mein kitne Bharatiya the. Dekhiye, hamara anumaan yeh tha, kuch log embassy ke saath rajdutawas ke saath register nahi karte hain apne aap ko, toh hamara anumaan tha ki 9,000 ek log hain. Unmein se kai ek sare students jo the woh wapas aa gaye the hamla shuru hone se pehle. Aur abhi haal mein kareeban 882 jo Bharatiya nagrik, usmein student bhi hain, usmein kuch wahan par vyavasay karne wale log bhi hain, aur jo yahan se teerthyatri gaye the woh bhi hain. 882 log Azerbaijan aur Armenia ke raaste wapas aane wale hain, kuch toh aa gaye hain. 284 jo teerthyatri gaye the usmein se 280 log wapas laut gaye hain. Woh Armenia ke raaste aaye hain, teen char aur hain woh bhi aa jayenge ek do din mein. Armenia ke raaste 772, 772 us land border se par karke Armenia gaye aur wahan se woh log aa rahe hain. Kuch log aa chuke hain, kuch log aane wale dinon mein aayenge. Azerbaijan ke raaste jo hai, wahan thodi si wahan gatividhi thoda dheema hai, toh wahan kareeban 110 Bharatiya nagrik Azerbaijan mein hain aur usmein se kuch log aa gaye hain aur kuch log aane wale hain.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Second, regarding how many Indians were in Iran. Some individuals do not register themselves with the embassy. Our estimate was around 9,000 people. Among them, many students had already returned before the attacks began. Recently, around 882 Indian nationals-including students, businesspersons, and pilgrims-have been in the process of returning via Azerbaijan and Armenia. Some have already returned. Out of 284 pilgrims, 280 have already come back via Armenia, and the remaining three or four are expected to return within a day or two. Through Armenia, about 772 people crossed the land border and are returning from there-some have already arrived, while others will arrive in the coming days. Via Azerbaijan, the movement has been relatively slower. Around 110 Indian nationals are currently in Azerbaijan; some have already returned, while others are expected to return soon.

Neeraj jaisa ki maine bataya ki urja sthiti ko behtar karne ke liye jo bhi vikalp hamare samne honge, yeh hamara policy raha hai, niti raha hai, hum us vikalp ke raaste jaa ke aur apni urja suraksha ko aur majboot karenge.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi]Neeraj, as I mentioned, our policy has been that whatever options are available to improve the energy situation, we will pursue those options and further strengthen our energy security.

Suhasini, your question regarding India's position. See, we have put out a statement on the attacks that have happened. Right from the very beginning, we have said that avoidance of targeting ... we have called for avoiding targeting of civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure across the region.

And as we have said in our statement, recent attacks against energy installations in different locations across this region are therefore deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario for the whole world. Such attacks are unacceptable and need to cease. So, this is our position on the recent energy attacks.

On your question regarding BRICS statement. See, BRICS membership and SCO membership are two different categories. So, if you look at who are the members, you will get an answer as to why we are having issues with developing a consensus in that regard.

On Sandra, your question on seafarers. We have a large community of seafarers, possibly the largest in the world. 90% of our seafaring community workers, they serve global commercial shipping. We have, as you would have followed the briefing being done in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, we have 22 ships. On those 22 ships, we have 611 seafarers. In addition, we also have seafarers across the region. We are in touch with their companies. We are also trying our best how best we can support them in terms of essentials, so on and so forth. Several seafarers have also come back. For example, the 15 seafarers, some of whom were injured, who were housed in Basra, they have come back to India or will be arriving in India shortly. Similarly, seafarers from other parts of that region have also been coming back. We have a dedicated control room in the Ministry of Shipping, the DG of Shipping, where all these questions of the families and all their concerns are being addressed.

Reza, your question regarding LNG. Yes, now with the latest attacks, our LNG supply is going to be impacted, and it has been impacted because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But we are in discussion with several countries, we are in touch with all these stakeholders there to see how best we can secure our energy needs and there can be unimpeded transit for our cargo.

Girl students. Yes ... we have a large number of students, including girl students from Kashmir who are studying medical education in Iran. We are trying our best. We had issued an advisory in which we had told everybody that before you reach the Azerbaijan border, please get in touch with the embassy so that they can help you in crossing over the border. What happens is that you reach the Iranian border, Iranian border is easy to cross, but you get stuck on the Azeri side. So therefore, it is important that all Indian nationals who desire to cross, make the land border crossing, they first get in touch with our embassy so that the conduct is smooth. I understand that there are some difficulties in terms of smooth flow because there are a lot of people who want to cross the border, but we are helping them. Also with several other necessities that they have. And hopefully, over the next few days, all of them will be coming back home.

Neeraj yahan par hum logon ne 4 March se hi, Somwar se, humne control room ek niyantran kaksh yahan banaya tha Videsh Mantralaya mein abhi bhi chal raha hai. Chuki bahut sare mushkilat jo the yahan par hamare samuday ke woh lagbhag lagbhag hal ho gaya hai, jo log fanse hue, tourist log jo fanse hue the, parivar ke log jo bahar fanse hue the. Kareeban 2,60,000 yatri Bharatiya nagrik pichle kuch dinon mein yeh conflict ke shuruaat ke baad se wapas Bharat aa gaye hain. Pichle kuch dinon mein maine dekha hai hum logon ne dekha hai ki jo phone calls aate hain aur jo emails aate hain usmein kafi girawat aayi hai. Toh yeh sthiti hai yahan par. Iske alawa hamare sare dootawas mein jo Gulf ke deshon mein hain, Iran mein hain, Israel mein bhi hain, sab jagah 24/7 chaubiso ghanta wahan par helpline chal raha hai taki hum log wahan par rehte hue hamare jo nagrik hain unka hum madad kar sakein.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Neeraj, as I mentioned, starting from Monday, 4th March, we set up a control room here in the Ministry of External Affairs, and it is still operational. Most of the difficulties faced by our community have now largely been resolved, whether it was tourists stranded there or family members stuck abroad.

Around 260,000 Indian nationals have returned to India in the past few days since the beginning of the conflict. Recently, we have observed a significant decline in the number of phone calls and emails received, indicating an improvement in the situation. Additionally, all our embassies in the Gulf countries, as well as in Iran and Israel, are running 24/7 helplines so that we can assist our citizens residing there.

Dhairya Maheshwari, Sputnik:Sir, Dhairya Maheshwari, Sputnik. Sir, there has been the resignation of the National Counter-Terrorism Center Chief Joe Kent who claimed that Iran posed no imminent threat. In a press conference this month, IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi also rejected the justification that Iran was weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon. In India's assessment, how do you see the situation? Was Iran close to building a nuclear weapon, which has been the basis of US-Israeli strikes?

Kallol, The Hindu:Kallol, from The Hindu, Sir. Sir, regarding the arrest of six Ukrainians and an American who were arrested by the NIA. Foreigners visiting Mizoram must obtain a Protected Area Permit. So, did they violate the Indian laws by not obtaining the permit?

Sidhant, CNN News 18:Sir, thank you so much. I'm Sidhant from CNN News 18. Sir, other than the statement made by DNI Tulsi Gabbard, there is this 2026 US Intel Community Assessment, and if I quote what that report says, "it says that Pakistan is into advanced or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that can strike the homeland", unquote. Does this assessment of US Intel community bother us? What is our assessment and are we going to be talking to the Americans directly about this particular assessment of their community? Since the military leadership in Pakistan is cosying up with the administration in the United States. Thank you.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson:Okay. So, Dhairya, first to your question. I really have no comments on that.

Kallol, see there are certain restricted area permits areas which are restricted in India, and there are certain protected areas. So, for those areas, you need a permission to travel there and whether they were in possession of this particular permission or not, it is now in the court, it will be presented and thereafter we will come to know. But I would refer you to what the NIA has had to say. I haven't gone into the technical details of it, but I understand that they may be wanting of certain documents for travelling to that part of India.

Siddhant, on your question, see, Pakistan's clandestine history of nuclear proliferation is for everybody to see, and everybody understands that and the risks that it poses to the international community. So, there is nothing new in it, it's just that this has been yet again highlighted. As far as this assessment that you've talked about, internal assessment, security assessment of the United States, on our side, we are closely working with the US government on counternarcotics issues. We have a shared objective here to how we deal with this menace. We have a working group and through this working group, we have an institutional dialogue mechanism to address the shared common challenge that we have. On Pakistan, the less I speak, the better. It the kind of things that they do poses a challenge to several people across the world.

With that, we come to the close of this press briefing. Thank you very much.

New Delhi
March 19, 2026