Last Updated:
The external affairs ministry said the current spate of hostilities in West Asia are to nobody’s benefit and urged parties involved to pursue diplomatic solutions.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
India on Saturday urged all parties in conflict-ridden West Asia to ‘exercise restraint’ and reminded them that ongoing hostilities are to nobody’s benefit, shortly after Israel struck military sites in Iran early on Saturday, in its retaliation for an Iranian attack this month.
The external affairs ministry released a statement and urged all parties to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the issue. “We are deeply concerned by the evolving escalation in West Asia and its ramifications for peace and stability in the region and beyond. We reiterate our call to all concerned to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy,” the ministry statement said.
“The ongoing hostilities are to nobody’s benefit, even as innocent hostages and civilian populations continue to suffer,” it further added.
It also stated that Indian missions in the region are in contact with the Indian community.
Israel’s military said scores of jets had completed three waves of strikes before dawn against missile factories and other sites, and warned its heavily armed arch-foe not to hit back.
Iran said its air defences had successfully countered the attack but some locations suffered “limited damage”. A semi-official Iranian news agency vowed a “proportional reaction” to the Israeli strikes.
Tensions between Iran and Israel have grown rapidly since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas.
Fears of an escalation have increased since Oct. 1 when Iran launched about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, killing one person in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in response to earlier Israeli moves.
Worsening conflict in Lebanon, where Israel is waging an intense campaign against Iran’s main regional ally Hezbollah to stop it firing rockets into northern Israel, has raised the temperature even further.
Source link
[ad_3]
