NEW DELHI, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- India Saturday expressed deep concern over the escalating situation in West Asia and urged all the involved parties to exercise restraint.
New Delhi's call for restraint came after Israel launched airstrikes on Iran early Saturday in response to a barrage of ballistic missiles that Tehran fired upon Tel Aviv earlier this month.
"We are deeply concerned by the evolving escalation in West Asia and its ramifications for peace and stability in the region and beyond," India's foreign ministry said in a statement. "We reiterate our call to all concerned to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy."
India underlined that the ongoing hostilities would not benefit any of the involved parties.
"The ongoing hostilities are to nobody's benefit, even as innocent hostages and civilian populations continue to suffer," the ministry said.
The Middle East has been on edge since the Israel-Hamas conflict sparked by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The ongoing conflict's political fallout has reached several countries in the region including Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan. The situation has prompted many countries to resort to caution in the region. ■