India in May 2026: the most important developments in security
India's security agenda in May 2026 was shaped by the war involving Iran and its effects on shipping. On May 5, India condemned a drone attack on the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the United Arab Emirates, in which three Indian citizens were wounded. On May 14, an Indian-flagged ship was attacked off the coast of Oman, and the vessel was reported to have sunk; India called the attack unacceptable and the UAE called it a terrorist attack. India raised the targeting of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz at the United Nations on May 17. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Abu Dhabi on May 15, India and the UAE agreed a framework for a strategic defence partnership. On May 27, the Indian Navy said it foiled a possible piracy attack near a merchant vessel in the Western Indian Ocean.
A year after Operation Sindoor, the military clash with Pakistan, rhetoric on both sides continued. Modi praised the armed forces on the anniversary, India tested a missile of the Agni series capable of carrying multiple warheads, and the Indian Army chief warned Pakistan on May 16 that it would face consequences if it continued to operate against India. A Pakistani military officer claimed two Indian air bases had been hit; Indian officials said the named bases do not exist. On May 30, Army chief Upendra Dwivedi said the forces were preparing for what he called Operation Sindoor 2.0.
Inside the country, a blast outside the Border Security Force headquarters in Jalandhar on May 6 put Punjab on high alert; the state later restricted gatherings around airports and air force bases and its counter-terrorism unit arrested 13 suspects. Delhi went on alert over intelligence warnings of possible explosive attacks, and explosives were found along Modi's convoy route in Bengaluru. In West Bengal, the personal assistant of Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead on May 6 and hundreds of people were arrested. The United States cleared 428 million dollars in defence support to India, and Tata, L&T and Bharat Forge were shortlisted for India's fifth-generation fighter project.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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