India on Saturday urged all parties to the conflict that has broken out in West Asia on Saturday to exercise restraint, stressing that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected.
Expressing deep concern at the recent developments in Iran and the Gulf region, the external affairs ministry underscored the need to avoid escalation and prioritise the safety of civilians. “Dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate tensions and address underlying issues. Sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected.”
There was no official word on whether India was planning to evacuate the sizable number of Indians, particularly from Kerala, who work in the Gulf countries. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar spoke to Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi. He also spoke to Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar.
A statement was issued late in the evening by which time embassies of India across the Gulf had issued advisories urging Indians to exercise extreme caution as West Asia flared up following the US-Israel attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on American military bases in various countries of the region.
Indian missions in at least 10 countries had issued advisories by evening, urging Indian nationals to stay indoors, avoid military bases and pay heed to emergency alerts sent by local authorities. Similarly-worded advisories were issued by the Indian embassies of Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
The Indian mission in Jordan additionally told Indian tourists travelling in the country to leave at the earliest by available commercial flights.
Through the day, the external affairs ministry did not respond to queries on whether Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Tel Aviv’s plans to strike Iran in coordination with the US this weekend during their meeting in Jerusalem on Wednesday and Thursday.
The start of the conflict, just days after Modi visited Israel earlier this week, saw the government drawing flak from the Congress for seemingly siding with Tel Aviv as war clouds were gathering in the region.
Former external affairs minister and chairman of the foreign affairs department of the Congress, Salman Khurshid, articulated the party’s concern at the Prime Minister’s visit to Israel at this juncture, particularly given the scope of a wide conflict.
“PM Modi’s visit at this juncture creates the perception of a political endorsement of military escalation, which is deeply antithetical to India’s historic commitment to a rules-based and the United Nations Charter,” he said.
Expressing concern over the escalating hostilities in West Asia, the Congress urged the government to ensure that all Indians living there were safe. “Peace and stability in the region are paramount and must be preserved,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X.
Rahul Gandhi too called upon the government to take proactive steps to ensure the safety of all Indians in the region.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said US President Donald Trump maintained the charade of diplomacy and negotiations with Iran for weeks. "Egged on by the Israeli PM Mr Netanyahu and hawks in the US, he has launched a military offensive aimed at achieving regime change," he claimed.
