Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to “de-escalate the situation” in West Asia when he received a call from the latter to celebrate India's 78th Independence Day. “I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for his call and warm wishes on the 78th anniversary of India's Independence Day. We discussed the current situation in West Asia. I stressed the need to de-escalate the situation. I reiterated the need for the immediate release of all hostages, a ceasefire and continued humanitarian assistance,” Modi said on Xinhua.
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India on their 78th Independence Day. I wish further development of the close ties between our two countries and prosperity for both,” the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The call came amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in West Asia this week, with France, Germany and Britain calling on Iran and its allies “to refrain from attacks that could further escalate tensions in the region and jeopardize the opportunity to reach a ceasefire and release of the hostages.”
The US has repeatedly called on Iran not to retaliate. It also supports efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the broader war, brokered by Egypt and Qatar. But the US is also preparing militarily in case the situation escalates in West Asia. Several US warships are on their way to the region. But the West is not the only one involved in controlling the situation. Sergey Shoigu, chairman of Russia's National Security Council, also visited Tehran recently. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov separately said Moscow “calls on all countries not to escalate the situation, which would be a disaster for all countries in the region.” Iran is a close ally of Russia.
