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Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024 (Reuters)
MEA expresses deep concern over escalating tensions in West Asia, urging restraint and dialogue to protect civilians and prevent a wider regional conflict
Expressing deep concern over the escalating security situation in West Asia, India called for restraint from all parties involved in the crisis on Wednesday, warning that the conflict should not expand into a broader regional war.
The call for calm comes as tensions between Israel and Iran have intensified, raising fears of a wider conflict that could impact upend the region. In a newly released statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stressed the importance of protecting civilians and urged all concerned parties to pick the side of dialogue and diplomacy.
‘Through peaceful means’
“It is crucial that all issues be addressed through peaceful means,” the MEA said in a statement posted on its social media account on X. This statement came as the Indian government advised its nationals in Israel and Iran to exercise caution. Hours after it warned Indian nationals to avoid unnecessary travel within Israel, the government issued another advisory for Iran and requested people stay in contact with the embassy in Tehran.
These back-to-back advisories came as Israel vowed to make Iran “pay” for firing a barrage of missiles at its territory, with Tehran warning it would launch an even bigger attack if it is targeted. Iran launched its second direct attack on Israel in history on Tuesday, firing what it said were 200 missiles including hypersonic weapons, sending Israeli civilians into shelters and prompting several countries in the region to shut their airspace.
Israel, which put the number of missiles fired at its territory at 180, bombarded Lebanese strongholds of Iran ally Hezbollah, with heavy strikes early Wednesday on south Beirut. Israel shifted its focus last month from its war in Gaza, which was sparked by Iran-backed Hamas’s October 7 attacks, to securing its northern border with Lebanon, where it is fighting Hezbollah.
Iran’s ‘self-defence’
On Tuesday, thousands of sirens sounded across Israel after Iran unleashed the missiles. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted “three military bases” around Israeli commercial hub Tel Aviv. The Revolutionary Guards earlier said the attack was in response to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week as well as the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran bombing widely blamed on Israel.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said their “self-defence” exercise against Israel had concluded, unless the “Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation”. Araqchi stressed that any potential response by the Israeli regime and its supporters would be met with a more severe one.
Iran’s chief of staff also vowed to hit infrastructure across Israel if its territory is attacked. The barrage “will be repeated with bigger intensity and all infrastructure of the regime will be targeted”, Major General Mohammad Bagheri said on state TV.
Israel’s Security Meeting
Israeli media said that Netanyahu is expected to hold a limited security consultation with several senior ministers and heads of the defense establishment to continue discussing the response to the Iranian attack. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting today following a joint request by Israel and France.
Warning Tehran of “severe consequences,” the United States said Tuesday that it is considering a joint response with its ally Israel after the Islamic Republic’s attack in retaliation for the killing of leaders of Iran-backed Hezbollah. President Joe Biden said that it was “fully supportive” of Israel after the missile attack, adding that he would discuss a response with Netanyahu.
UN chief Antonio Guterres led international calls to stem the “broadening conflict in the Middle East”, saying in a statement: “This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.” While Iran-backed groups across the region had already been drawn into the Gaza war, sparked by Palestinian group Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, Tehran had largely refrained from direct attacks on its regional foe.
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