External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India was “very concerned” about the possibility of a regional war in West Asia and “any response by any country” would have to be responded to in accordance with international humanitarian law.

S. Jaishankar was speaking at the Carnegie Endowment Center for International Peace in the US on the emerging instability in West Asia. He reiterated India’s position that it considers the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants as a “terrorist attack” and said it was the root cause of the current tensions in the region.

“We believe that Israel needed to respond, but we also believe that any response by any country must take into account international humanitarian law,” S. Jaishankar said in the call. It must be wary of any harm to the civilian population or any implications.” for international humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip.

EAM also stressed that India is concerned about all the different types of conflicts in West Asia and not just the current tensions between Israel-Hamas-Lebanon and Iran.

“Not just what happened in Lebanon, but, you know, I mentioned earlier the Houthis and the Red Sea, and, you know, to some extent, everything that happens between Iran and Israel. So Then, it’s something to worry about. I’m sure you can say that for many countries,” Jaishankar added.

The minister said India realizes the importance of maintaining communication between all parties “in difficult times”. “If there are things to say and move forward and retreat, I think these are all contributions we can make and we do,” Jaishankar said.

Middle East on the brink

Iran fired at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel’s capital Tel Aviv on Tuesday in response to the killing of former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Tehran’s response has increased dramatically since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October last year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his determination to respond to Iran’s attack. “Iran has made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it,” Netanyahu said at the start of an emergency political-security cabinet meeting held inside a secure bunker in Tel Aviv after the Iranian attack.

(with input from ANI)