Amid escalation of conflict in the Middle East after a joint military strike by the US and Israel on Iran, India on Saturday urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation, emphasising that sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected. In its first reaction to the fast-evolving situation in the region, New Delhi said it is "deeply concerned" over the developments in Iran and the Gulf region, and that "dialogue and diplomacy" should be pursued to de-escalate tensions.
Check top 10 developments of the Israel-Iran conflict:
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held phone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar and conveyed to Araghchi India's deep concern over the developments in Iran and the region.
- Following the attack by the US and Israel, Iran launched retaliatory military strikes targeting Israel and American military bases across the region, including in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
- Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump, announcing the military offensive against Tehran, called on people of Iran to "take over" the government, saying: It will be "probably your only chance for generations".
- The US-Israel joint strikes on Iran came after weeks of negotiations between Washington and Tehran on the Iranian nuclear programme did not produce any tangible outcome.
- Iranian state media reported that at least 57 people were killed at a girls' school in South Iran in the US-Israel strikes.
- Following the escalating situation, India advised its nationals in Iran, Israel Jordan, Qatar, the UAE and Palestine to exercise utmost caution and remain vigilant. In an advisory, the Indian embassy in Iran urged Indian nationals in that country to avoid unnecessary movements and remain indoors.
- The Indian embassy in Israel also issued a similar advisory urging Indian nationals in the country to exercise "utmost caution and remain vigilant at all times." The Indian diaspora in Israel comprises over 41,000 people.
- Air India, IndiGo and other Indian airlines cancelled their flights to the Middle East on Saturday, while the regulator DGCA advised the carriers to temporarily avoid airspaces of 11 countries amid the US and Israel strikes on Iran. As airlines scrambled to tackle the situation arising out of the sudden closure of airspaces in the Middle East, hundreds of flights were seen hovering in different airspaces, as per flight tracking websites.
- According to reports, as many as 57 flights of both domestic and international airlines were cancelled at Mumbai International Airport till 5.45 pm on Saturday. The Amritsar International Airport also issued an advisory for passengers, saying some flights have been impacted because of airspace closure in the wake of conflict between Iran and Israel.
- The Airports Authority of India and private airport operators have been advised to maintain enhanced coordination with airlines for ground handling, parking bays, passenger amenities, crew logistics and immigration support, as necessary. Airlines are also offering waivers for ticket rescheduling and cancellations for the affected flights.
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