NEW DELHI: India expressed deep concerns on Saturday as the crisis-embroiled Middle East witnessed Israel retaliating to Iran‘s October 1 aerial attack by launching “precise strikes ” at Tehran’s military bases.
As the war-torn region remains on the brink, India urged all sides to stick to dialogue and diplomacy while urging warring nations to exercise restraint as “hostilities are to nobody’s benefit”.
“We are deeply concerned by the evolving escalation in West Asia and its ramifications for peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the ministry of external affairs said in a statement.
The ministry further said: “We reiterate our call to all concerned to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The ongoing hostilities are to nobody’s benefit, even as innocent hostages and civilian populations continue to suffer.”
“Our Missions in the region are in contact with the Indian community,” the statement read.
In the Israeli attack on Iran, multiple powerful explosions were heard in Tehran, and the neighboring city of Karaj, according to reports.
The Israeli military said that the strikes are in response to “relentless attacks” from Iran and its proxies since October 7, adding that it has the “right and the duty to respond.”
Residents in Tehran reported hearing explosions, with state-run media initially acknowledging the blasts and saying some of the sounds to air defense systems around the city.
“It was so loud and the sky became red,” said an Iranian resident in Tehran.
Israel had earlier announced to retaliate against Iran following a missile attack on October 1, marking the second direct assault on Israel by Tehran within a six-month period.