The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reaffirmed India’s position on the Israel-Iran conflict following a statement from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory. India emphasised its consistent call for “dialogue and diplomacy” to reduce tensions and clarified that it did not take part in the deliberations that resulted in the SCO’s collective statement.
India reiterated its independent stance after the China-led regional bloc accused Israel of targeting Iranian civilian and nuclear sites, resulting in casualties and damage. In response, the MEA stated, “India’s position on the matter was articulated on June 13 and remains unchanged. We urge that channels of dialogue and diplomacy be utilised to work towards de-escalation, and it is essential that the international community undertake endeavours in that direction.”
The ministry also noted that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had spoken to his counterparts in Israel and Iran on Friday. During the calls, he conveyed the international community’s deep concern regarding the worsening situation in the Middle East and urged all parties to refrain from further escalation and return to diplomacy at the earliest.
India also confirmed that its position was communicated to the member states of the SCO. “Keeping that in mind, India did not participate in the discussions on the above-mentioned SCO statement,” the MEA added.
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Earlier, the SCO had issued a strongly worded statement, saying that the Israeli strikes had hit civilian and nuclear infrastructure in Iran, caused civilian casualties, and violated international law and the principles of the UN Charter. The group said the strikes infringed on Iran’s sovereignty and posed a serious threat to regional and global peace and stability. The SCO consists of 10 member countries: China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.
India had previously voiced “deep concern” after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets. Reiterating its friendly ties with both nations, India had appealed to Israel and Iran to exercise restraint and avoid escalation, adding that it was willing to extend all possible support to assist both sides. The MEA’s fresh statement comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the ongoing developments.
Following the conversation, PM Modi posted on social media: “Received a phone call from PM @netanyahu of Israel. He briefed me on the evolving situation. I shared India's concerns and emphasised the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region.” In addition to briefing PM Modi, Netanyahu also updated US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the situation.
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