Prime Minister Modi revealed that he had a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which they discussed shared concerns about the ongoing situation in West Asia and emphasized the importance of returning to dialogue and diplomacy.
"Spoke with my friend President Emmanuel Macron today. We discussed our shared concerns over the evolving situation in West Asia and the need for a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We will continue to engage closely and coordinate efforts towards the early restoration of peace and stability in the region," Modi wrote on X.
Since the outbreak of the military conflict, Prime Minister Modi has held discussions with eight West Asian leaders, with the conversation with Macron taking place on Thursday. The call came just a day after the United States sank an Iranian naval vessel off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, bringing the conflict closer to India's neighborhood.
The military confrontation in West Asia began on February 28, when the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iran, resulting in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In response, Iran launched a series of retaliatory attacks targeting US and Israeli military bases across several Gulf nations, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
The conflict has escalated rapidly over the past few days, with both sides engaging in repeated attacks and counterattacks. On March 4, the US torpedoed an Iranian naval vessel near Sri Lanka.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strike, stating that the vessel, IRIS Dena, was attacked "without warning." In a post on X, he warned that "the US will bitterly regret the precedent it has set."
(With inputs from IANS)
