Overview

• Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh condemned recent Israeli airstrikes and targeted killings on Iranian soil as a dangerous escalation with grave regional and global consequences.
• The party stressed that diplomacy, dialogue and international cooperation are the only sustainable paths to resolve the Israel-Iran conflict.
• Congress highlighted India’s long-standing civilisational ties with Iran and strategic relationship with Israel as a moral responsibility and unique diplomatic leverage to mediate peace.
• New Delhi distanced itself from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s criticism of Israel and the Ministry of External Affairs urged both sides to avoid further escalation and return to diplomacy.
• The conflict, triggered by Israel’s Operation Rising Lion and subsequent Iranian retaliation, is raising concerns about regional stability and the safety of millions of Indian expatriates in West Asia.