New Delhi, Oct 26 (FN Bureau) Amid a sharp escalation in the military confrontation in West Asia, with Israel launching direct strikes against Iran and the Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel, India on Saturday reiterated its call to all parties in the conflict to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the ongoing hostilities are to nobody’s benefit, and added that the Indian missions in the region are in contact with the Indian community. The statement read: “We are deeply concerned by the evolving escalation in West Asia and its ramifications for peace and stability in the region and beyond. “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.” On Saturday, Israel said it had struck military targets inside Iran in response to earlier Iranian attacks, raising fears that the confrontation between the two countries could escalate into an all-out regional war. Iran claimed its air defences had successfully countered the strikes in three provinces of Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan and that the damage was “limited”. Iran has said it is “entitled” to defend itself following the attack. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Hezbollah said it had fired rocket barrages into Safed and Haifa in northern Israel on Saturday. Wildfires broke out in the Hula Valley of northern Israel after the rockets fell in open areas, the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority said. According to CNN, a senior US administration official said that US President Joe Biden “encouraged” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week to “design” a retaliatory attack against Iran that would “deter future attacks against Israel.”