Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged immediate de-escalation and diplomatic resolution in a call with Iran’s President amid rising Middle-East tensions, following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and retaliatory attacks by Iran and Israel. India joins global voices urging restraint and a return to dialogue.
Amid rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday. During the exchange, PM Modi reiterated India’s long-standing call for calm, urging all parties to pursue immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic dialogue to restore regional peace and stability.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi stated:
“Spoke with President of Iran @drpezeshkian. We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations. Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability.”
The conversation comes in the wake of intensifying hostilities involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, raising fears of a broader regional conflict. On the same day as PM Modi’s diplomatic outreach, the United States carried out targeted airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, significantly escalating the geopolitical stakes in the region.
The Pentagon confirmed that the coordinated strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strikes were described as a direct response to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attacks on Israeli territory.
Iran, in its official reaction, condemned the US action in the strongest terms. In a sharply worded statement, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the brutal US military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, which was committed in flagrant and unprecedented violation of the most fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and the rules of international law, and holds the warmongering and law-breaking US government responsible for the extremely dangerous effects and consequences of this great crime.”
Iran has also called upon the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take immediate and decisive action in response to what it described as “gross violations of international law.”
Adding further complexity to the situation, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a series of airstrikes on military targets located in western Iran. The strikes were conducted following a barrage of more than 30 ballistic missiles fired by Iran toward Israel earlier in the day.
In a statement posted on X, the IDF said:
“The IAF has begun a series of strikes towards military targets in western Iran… Additionally, this morning, the IAF struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralised the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory a short while ago.”
Israel has defended its actions as pre-emptive measures to neutralize perceived threats and to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear capabilities. Israeli officials continue to assert that Iran is working toward developing nuclear weapons—an allegation Iran has consistently denied.
The spiraling violence and rhetoric among regional and global powers have triggered widespread concern within the international community. India’s call for restraint and dialogue adds to the growing chorus of voices urging calm and seeking to prevent a wider military conflict.
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Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic intervention underscores India’s strategic interest in the stability of the Middle East, a region crucial for global energy supplies and home to millions of Indian expatriates. India has historically maintained strong relations with both Iran and the United States and is positioning itself as a potential mediator in the region.
As the situation remains fluid and volatile, the role of international diplomacy appears more critical than ever. With the risk of a broader conflict looming large, global leaders are increasingly being called upon to use all available diplomatic channels to de-escalate the crisis and prevent further bloodshed.
