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PM Modi's ‘world is tense…’ statement after Iran launches missile, drone attack on Israel
PM Narendra Modi's statement, at release of BJP manifesto for Lok Sabha polls 2024, comes after Iran's proxies and allies carried out attacks on Israel.
Iran-Israel conflict news: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the need for a stable majority government increases at a time when the world is passing through “uncertain times”. PM Modi's statement, at the release of the Bharatiya Janata Party's poll manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in New Delhi, comes on a day Iran's proxies and allies carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions.
The Iranian attack, which comes less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Without referring to any country, Modi said, “The cloud of uncertainty is hovering over the world today. There is a situation of war. The world is tense. In such times of crisis, the security of Indians living in these regions is our priority. When such tensions prevail across the world, it becomes all the more necessary to have a strong and stable government with a full majority - such a government that makes the country economically prosperous, that takes the country towards 'Viksit Bharat' swiftly and the BJP is determined for this. BJP's manifesto gives a guarantee for once such government.”
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The Israeli military said on Sunday said Iran's unprecedented overnight attack has been "foiled", with hundreds of missiles and drones intercepted with the help of the United States and allies.
The attack which began late Saturday marks a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes, and comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Modi was one of the first world leaders to condemn the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and also came out in strong support of the country. With the subsequent war stretching on for months, India has appeared to recalibrate its approach keeping in mind its historical stand on Palestine and a two-state solution, as well as its other relationships in the Middle East.
India ‘seriously concerned’ over hostilities between Israel, Iran
On Sunday, India said it was seriously concerned over escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation.
"We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
"We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy," it added in the statement.
The MEA also said India was closely monitoring the evolving situation. "Our embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region," it said.
(With inputs from agencies)
