India expressed concern and sought respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. territorial integrity

India is deeply concerned by recent developments in Iran and the Gulf region, the government said, hours after the United States and Israel took joint action against Iran and Iran retaliated against Gulf states where Washington has military assets. While seeking safety for civilians in a region home to nearly ten million Indian expatriates, the Indian government has also stressed in its tough balancing act that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be protected. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also had separate phone calls with his Iranian counterpart Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, expressing deep concern and reiterating India’s call for de-escalation of tensions through dialogue and diplomacy.India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’s response in the form of a statement was carefully calibrated, saying dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate tensions and resolve underlying issues. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritize the safety of civilians,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, adding that Indian missions in the Gulf are in touch with Indian nationals and have issued appropriate advisories asking them to remain vigilant and adhere to local security guidance. There are nearly 40,000 Indian citizens in Israel and 60,000 to 10,000 Indian citizens in Iran.As the United States and Israel reportedly try to broker regime change in Iran, India is once again forced to walk a diplomatic tightrope between a stable relationship with Iran based on shared regional interests and clear signs of improvement in India’s key relationship with the United States after a period of extreme turmoil. The attack on Iran also came less than 48 hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a bilateral meeting in Israel, where the two leaders discussed US-Iran tensions, with Modi expressing India’s support for any efforts to resolve the issue peacefully if necessary. It is worth noting that Modi stated in his media speech during this visit that peace and security in West Asia are directly related to India’s security interests. This visit comes against the backdrop of intensifying friction between the United States and Iran. The Gulf region is also one of India’s most important and reliable sources of oil and gas. The welfare of the diaspora is a top priority for the Indian government and one of the largest sources of remittances in the country. The GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – are also India’s largest trading partner group. While India has deepened its strategic partnership with Israel over the past decade, its relations with the Gulf countries have also undergone a complete transformation during this period. In fact, India now has strategic partnerships with five of the six GCC countries, moving away from the traditional energy buying and selling relationship to other areas such as defense and security, investment, connectivity and technology. India will be concerned about the impact a full-scale regional war could have on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) project, which has been delayed by instability in West Asia. During his visit to Israel, Modi said that the two countries will promote initiatives such as IMEEC and India-Israel-UAE-US (I2U2) with new momentum to promote regional connectivity. However, Iran remains an important regional partner for India, one that New Delhi has not abandoned despite President Donald Trump’s resumption of a maximum pressure campaign against the country. In January, India joined China, Pakistan and four other countries in voting against a UN Human Rights Council resolution that strongly condemned the crackdown on protests in Iran and extended the mandate of a fact-finding mission in the country. Indian authorities say India’s interest lies in maintaining functional relations with Iran, especially because of its strategic position chabahar port India helped develop the country, bypassing Pakistan and entering Central Asia and Afghanistan. Last year, the U.S. decided to revoke a sanctions exemption for the port, which was expected to take effect in late April, adding to the confusion.