Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir made an unannounced visit to India and met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Thursday amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Al-Jubeir’s visit to New Delhi comes at a time when already strained relations between India and Pakistan have further deteriorated following surgical strikes by the Indian Army on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Jaishankar shared details of the meeting on social media, saying, “Had a good meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir this morning.” He added, “Shared India’s vision on combating terrorism firmly.”
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In another diplomatic engagement amid the rising tensions, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi around midnight on a pre-scheduled visit. During a face-to-face meeting, Jaishankar reportedly told Araghchi, “Our intention is not to escalate the situation, but if there are military attacks on us, there is no doubt that India will respond with full force.” Araghchi is also scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu in the afternoon.
To avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian armed forces launched missile strikes on nine terrorist camps on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. Targets included Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Muridke, a known Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) hub.
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The Indian Army stated that the terror camps were identified and monitored before launching Operation Sindoor to dismantle facilities used to plan attacks on India. These camps were reportedly involved in training militants responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, as well as those in Sonamarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam. The groups operating from these camps are also believed to orchestrate terror activities in Poonch, Rajouri, and Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir.
