India reiterates concern about Iran-Israel tensions, says monitoring updates on nuke sites

India on Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and Israel after 12 days of hostilities, but reiterated its concerns about sustained security and stability in West Asia

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday reiterated its concerns about the escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel, including attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, and called for dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of regional peace and stability.

Flames from a fire at the Tehran oil refinery, located south of the capital, are seen burning in the distance on June 15 (AFP FILE)

The Indian side is closely following updates from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about radiation levels at the affected sites in Iran, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing in response to a question about New Delhi’s position on Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists and scientific institutions.

India on Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and Israel after 12 days of hostilities, but reiterated its concerns about sustained security and stability in West Asia.

“We expressed deep concerns about the recent escalation of the situation in West Asia, including the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Subsequently, we welcomed the ceasefire as you would have seen,” Jaiswal said.

“India is closely following updates from IAEA about radiation levels in the affected sites. We have noted that so far, IAEA has reported that the targeted facilities either confirmed no nuclear material, or small quantities of natural or low-enriched uranium, and that radioactive contamination has been limited to the buildings affected by the strikes.”

India has called for a “return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy for an early restoration of regional peace, security and stability”, Jaiswal said.

A joint statement issued by Brics, of which India is a member, characterised the military strikes on Iran as a violation of international law, though this issue has not figured in statements issued by India.

When Jaiswal was asked about this matter, he responded by saying: “I have seen the joint statement… where the member countries have expressed this grave concern. I would also urge you to look at the statements we have issued on the Israel-Iran issue, where we expressed our deep concern on the escalation and called for the route of dialogue and diplomacy to be taken for de-escalation.”

Jaiswal also provided an update on Operation Sindhu, launched on June 18 to bring back Indian nationals from Iran and Israel. A total of 3,426 Indians, 11 OCI card-holders, nine Nepalese nationals, four Sri Lankan citizens and an Iranian woman married to an Indian citizen were evacuated from Iran.