Israel urges action against Iran's 'economic terrorism' in Hormuz

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and EAM S Jaishankar discussed Iran, Lebanon, and the Strait of Hormuz. Sa'ar urged action against Iran's 'economic terrorism' to ensure freedom of navigation for countries including India.

Israel Urges Action on Iran's 'Economic Terrorism'

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Gideon Sa'ar on Tuesday discussed Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and Lebanon with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Sa'ar said that Iran's harm to freedom of navigation through economic terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz requires action that will ensure the freedom of navigation for all countries, including India. In a post on X, Sa'ar said, "A good conversation, as always, with my friend, India's Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar. We discussed Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and Lebanon. I said that the firm American stance in the negotiations on conditions that would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons (no enrichment in Iran, removal of enriched material from Iran) is critical for the entire international community," he said.

"I also said that Iran's harm to freedom of navigation and the global economy through economic terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz requires action that will ensure the freedom of navigation for all countries, including India and our friends in the Gulf," he added.

Jaishankar's UAE Visit and Regional Discussions

The call comes after Jaishankar concluded his official visit to the UAE. Speaking on the primary focus of his high-level discussions, the External Affairs Minister told ANI, "I arrived in the UAE yesterday. So this morning, I met with Sheikh Mohammed, the President of the UAE. I brought with me a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and our conversation focused on our strategic relationship and its various initiatives, such as energy, economic trade, and the energy and trade relationship. The UAE is a major partner for us, so we discussed that."

India's Concern Over Lebanon Civilian Casualties

India on Friday expressed deep concern over the rising number of civilian casualties in Lebanon amid continued strikes by Israel despite the two-week ceasefire imposed to halt the month-long conflict in West Asia, reiterating that the protection of civilians remains its foremost priority. Addressing an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on recent developments in West Asia in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the current situation is "very disturbing", particularly given India's longstanding commitment to peace and stability in the region.

He further said that there are about 1000 Indian nationals living in Lebanon. "We are deeply concerned by reports of a large number of civilian casualties that have been reported in Lebanon. As a troop-contributing country to United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)--which is invested in Lebanon's peace and security--the trajectory of events is very disturbing," Jaiswal said.

Ongoing Bilateral Communication

On March 24, highlighting the strategic depth of the ongoing bilateral dialogue, Ambassador of Israel to India, Reuven Azar, has underscored that both nations are maintaining high-level communication regarding the current regional operations. Azar noted that Israel remains committed to ensuring India is fully briefed on the security dynamics shifting across West Asia. (ANI)

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