In Phone Call With Netanyahu Amid Israeli Operation Against Iran, Modi Underlines Need For Peace
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In Phone Call With Netanyahu Amid Israeli Operation Against Iran, Modi Underlines Need For Peace
The Wire Staff
16 minutes ago
Netanyahu's office claimed that Modi and other world leaders 'showed understanding' of Israel's 'defence needs' against Iran.
FILE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) seen in January 2018. Photo: Narendra Modi/Facebook.
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New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (June 13) and briefed him about the situation developing in the Middle East, while Modi endorsed an early return of peace, the latter said as the region undergoes turmoil amid Israel's targeted military operation against Iran.
Modi said that Netanyahu 'briefed me on the evolving situation' and that in turn he 'shared India's concerns and emphasised the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region'.
Netanyahu's office said the Israeli PM had been speaking to world leaders starting the previous night and specifically mentioned three people he had phoned, with Modi being one of them.
'The leaders,' it went on, 'showed understanding for Israel's defence needs in the face of the Iranian threat of annihilation'. Netanyahu would continue to remain in touch with them, his office added.
Meanwhile, Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar reported receiving a phone call from his Israeli opposite number Gideon Saar and that he had also spoken with Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi.
Early on Friday, Israel began a military operation against arch-enemy Iran, claiming that Tehran was 'closer than ever' to obtaining a nuclear weapon and that given its opposition to Israel's existence, the latter was compelled to launch a 'preemptive' attack.
Iran, which denies pursuing nuclear weapons, has confirmed losing top military commanders in the operation, including the chief of staff of its armed forces, as well as senior scientists.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said as per the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency that 'the Zionist regime [has] sealed for itself a bitter and painful destiny'. Later on Friday Tehran launched a number of drones at Israel.
There have been reports that Israel has continued its operation with a fresh round of attacks against Iran on Friday evening.
Earlier in the day, India's external affairs ministry urged both sides – with whom it noted it enjoys 'close and friendly relations' – to avoid escalation and to use diplomatic channels to 'work towards a de-escalation of the situation and resolving underlying issues'.
New Delhi 'stands ready to extend all possible support', it added.
As part of its military operation, which it has dubbed 'Operation Rising Lion', Israel also struck Iran's main nuclear enrichment site in Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, said that radiation levels outside the facility 'remain unchanged'.
'The type of radioactive contamination present inside the facility, mainly alpha particles, can be managed with appropriate protective measures,' it added.
A day prior, the IAEA had reprimanded Iran for not adhering to its non-proliferation obligations, accusing Tehran of failing to provide credible explanations for the presence of uranium traces at undeclared sites in the country.
Iran bristled at the statement, vowing to open a new enrichment site and upgrade centrifuges at its Fordow nuclear facility.
Tel Aviv's military operation also occurs amid talks between Iran and the US regarding the former's nuclear program. The two sides were scheduled to meet in Oman for a sixth round of talks on Sunday but it is unclear whether the program is still on.
US President Donald Trump meanwhile has urged Iran to strike a deal with Washington. 'Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,' he said on Truth Social on Friday.
Other than General Mohammad Bagheri, chairman of the chiefs of staff of Iran's armed forces, those military leaders killed in Israel's strikes included chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami and the IRGC's ballistic missiles chief Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh.
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