India’s stand amid threat of Open War between Iran and Israel

NEW DELHI : India, caught in a tight spot over the  Iran-Israel escalation, has advised both nations to exercise restraint. The tension must be resolved through “dialogue & diplomacy”, the foreign ministry said on Sunday after Saturday’s drone attack by Teheran.

On Saturday Evening, Iran — which backs Palestine — has launched a drone attack on Israel amid the latter’s war on Hamas. The Israeli military said most of the 200-plus ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones, were intercepted with the help of Israel’s allies before landing. Teheran said it was an act of “self-defence” after Iran’s diplomatic mission in Damascus was targeted.

Calling the situation a “humanitarian” tragedy, New Delhi said it is seriously concerned about the escalation of hostilities which threatens the peace and security in the region.

“We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation… It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region,” the ministry has said in a statement.

The escalation  was expected since Israel started war on Hamas. Last week, India issued an advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Iran or Israel and asked Indians living in either country to observe “utmost precautions”.

Now the escalation has happened, it places India between two nations with which it shares strong ties.

India’s strategic ties with Israel — with which it has cooperation in multiple fields from defence to technology for decades — has been upscaled since the NDA government came to power. PM Modi has visited Israel in 2018 and his personal chemistry with PM Netanyahu is very good. Isarel is one of India’s biggest defence supplies aling with the US, UK, France and Russia.

India’s positive relationship with Iran is older – the country being one of India’s prime supplier of oil.

India was Iran’s second-largest importer of oil before the sanctions were imposed over its controversial nuclear programme.  For four years, India has not been able to buy oil from Iran, but the two had remained close.

India and Iran concluded a defence pact in 2002. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Shri S Jaishankar went for a visit to Iran, where India is invested in building the Chabahar port.

While India does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation, the attack on Israel which triggered retaliation, was considered a terrorist attack.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi — the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel — had described it as a “terrorist act” through a tweet. Through this, India has given a clear message that it is with Israel against terrorism.

At the same time, India has been raising its voice regarding the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.