PM Modi speaks with Iranian President, calls for immediate de-escalation

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday and reiterated call for immediate de-escalation and diplomatic measures to restore regional peace in the Middle-East.

“Spoke with President of Iran @drpezeshkian. We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations. Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability,” said PM Modi in a message on X.

PM Modi’s call for restoring dialogue and diplomacy came on a day when the United States bombed three nuclear facilities of Iran, triggering wave of reactions from global powers. Iran strongly condemned the United States’ strikes on its nuclear facilities, calling it a “brutal military aggression” and gross violation of international law and the UN Charter.

In the aftermath of coordinated US airstrikes on three nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Iran also urged the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take immediate action.

In its official statement, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the brutal US military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, which was committed in flagrant and unprecedented violation of the most fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and the rules of international law, and holds the warmongering and law-breaking US government responsible for the extremely dangerous effects and consequences of this great crime.”

Earlier, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) began a series of strikes targeting military sites in western Iran following a missile attack conducted by Iran earlier that day.

“The IAF has begun a series of strikes towards military targets in western Iran,” the IDF posted on X.

“Additionally, this morning, the IAF struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralised the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory a short while ago,” it added.

Iran launched more than 30 ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday, the IDF had said earlier in the day.

Israeli authorities claimed their offensive against Iran was a pre-emptive measure to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons – an ambition Iran has consistently denied.

IANS