India on Thursday said the situation in West Asia is of “great concern” to it and urged restraint amid fears that Iran may launch retaliatory attacks on Israel over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
West Asia has been rocked by rising tensions since Haniya's killing last week, with Iran blaming Israel for the assassination and vowing to retaliate “at the appropriate time”.
There are concerns that the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group, known to be backed by Iran, could also be involved in retaliatory action.
“The situation in West Asia is of extreme concern to us. There are around 3,000 Indians in Lebanon and 10,000 in Iran,” foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said.
“Our embassy there is urging our people to be vigilant and cautious,” he said at a weekly news conference.
“Given the situation, we will continue to call for de-escalation and restraint because that is what is needed now,” he said.
Several countries, including the United States and Britain, have urged their nationals to leave Lebanon.
