India has voiced its concern over the potential escalation of war in West Asia, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hinting that the country can play a role as a facilitator of communication between Israel and Iran. This sounds interesting at a critical juncture when tensions between the two countries almost reach a full-scale war.
The comments by Jaishankar came on the back of an Iranian launch of 180 ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv in a retaliatory attack in response to the killing of former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on October 1. Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the United States, he reiterated India’s stand regarding the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas-that it views as a “terrorist attack.”.
He underlined that the present turmoil in the region emanates from this attack. Regarding the necessity of upholding international humanitarian law, Jaishankar said any response by affected nations should limit civilian harm.
“We view October 7 as a terrorist attack. We understand that Israel had to respond, but any response has to be mindful of international humanitarian law and the consequences for civilian populations,”
He said.
Jaishankar further conveyed that the war might spill over beyond Lebanon and attract the Houthis with an impact on the Red Sea, including rising tensions between Iran and Israel. He reaffirmed the necessity for keeping lines of communication open during periods of volatility: “If there are things to be said and passed on, those are contributions we can make.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed retaliation, saying,
“Iran made a big mistake tonight, on October 1 – and it will pay for it.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Netanyahu to reiterate that “terrorism has no place in our world” while underlining the need to avoid escalation in the overall region and the safe release of hostages. Modi had reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting efforts to restore peace and stability in the region early.
