Iran, Israel relationship or absence of it source of concern, says External Affairs Minister Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister addresses diplomatic efforts, security concerns, and economic growth in relation to Israel, Iran, and Red Sea.

The relationship or absence of it between Israel and Iran has been a source of concern and some of India's diplomatic efforts are focused on that aspect, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday (December 8, 2024).

In an address at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, Mr. Jaishankar, without directly referring to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Houthi militants, said India has an interest in trying to mitigate the security situation.

Mr. Jaishankar, on a two-day visit to Bahrain from Saturday (December 7, 2024), touched upon various issues, including how to prevent conflicts from spreading further, the importance of key connectivity projects and the need to improve the security situation in the region.

"In recent times, for all of us, the relationship or absence of it between Israel and Iran has been particularly a source of concern, so some of our diplomatic efforts have focused on that particular aspect," he said.

There have been mounting global concerns over escalating tensions between Iran and Israel in the last few months.

In October, Iran fired around 200 missiles into Israel in response to Israel's killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders of the Lebanese militant outfit. Israel subsequently retaliated against the Iranian strikes.

Talking about the importance of West Asia for New Delhi, the external affairs minister also highlighted India's sustained economic growth.