Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed “deep concern” over the rising tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel, following reports of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. In a conversation with Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, Modi emphasized India’s longstanding position, calling for “immediate de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy.”
The call came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that American forces had carried out overnight strikes, claiming to have “obliterated” three nuclear sites in Iran. Tehran has strongly condemned the attacks, with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accusing Washington of violating international law and asserting that Iran reserves “all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people.”
India’s Left parties including the Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI (Marxist), CPI (ML)-Liberation, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) issued a joint statement condemning the U.S. strikes. Calling the attacks a “grave violation of Iranian sovereignty and the UN Charter,” the parties warned the move could destabilize West Asia and disrupt the global economy. The statement also questioned U.S. and Israeli claims that Iran was on the brink of developing nuclear weapons.
Earlier this month, India had refrained from endorsing a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) statement that harshly criticized Israeli strikes on Iran a stance critics say marks a shift in India’s traditionally balanced foreign policy approach grounded in international law.
The international community has also reacted sharply. Russia’s Foreign Ministry labeled the U.S. strikes a “flagrant” breach of international law and the UN Charter, while Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the attacks in a social media post.
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno said Madrid was “deeply concerned” and urged all sides to return to the negotiating table, stressing that only diplomacy not military action could restore peace in the Middle East.
Turkiye also voiced alarm, warning that the U.S. airstrikes had dangerously escalated tensions. Citing the risk of a broader conflict, its Foreign Ministry reiterated the need for negotiations to resolve the nuclear dispute.
Meanwhile, Iran responded by launching 40 missiles toward Israel, injuring at least 27 people. One of the targeted areas was Ramat Aviv in Tel Aviv, where residential buildings sustained heavy damage from the strikes.
