India Urges Restraint Amid Middle East Tensions Following Iran’s Missile Attack on Israel

New Delhi: India has expressed serious concern over the escalating conflict in the Middle East, following Iran’s missile strikes on Israel. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urged all parties to exercise restraint and stressed the importance of preventing the situation from worsening into a broader regional conflict.

In a statement on Wednesday, the MEA reiterated its call for “dialogue and diplomacy” to resolve the tensions. “We are deeply concerned at the escalation of the security situation in West Asia and reiterate our call for restraint by all concerned and protection of civilians. It is important that the conflict doesn’t take a wider regional dimension and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy,” the MEA stated.

Statement on the evolving situation in West Asia:https://t.co/6SNjnBHOUT pic.twitter.com/BxVAFTjuWv

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 2, 2024

This response came a day after Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles targeting Israel, marking an unprecedented escalation. Alarms were triggered across Israel, with explosions reported in Jerusalem and the Jordan River Valley, sending residents into bomb shelters.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that hypersonic Fattah missiles were used, with 90% hitting their targets. Israeli Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that most missiles were intercepted by Israel’s defence systems, bolstered by a US-led coalition. “Iran’s attack is a severe and dangerous escalation,” Hagari stated.

While no casualties were reported in Israel, one man was killed in the West Bank during the attack. The region has been unstable since Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel nearly a year ago, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages, leading to the ongoing war in Gaza, which has claimed over 41,000 lives.