During a recent conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Ebraham Raisi underscored support for an urgent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and slammed the Jewish country for killing innocent Palestinians and occupying Palestine.
The two leaders spoke on Monday, where PM Modi raised grave concerns over the difficult situation in the Middle East. During the conversation, the Indian leader said that terrorist incidents, violence and loss of civilian lives were serious concerns and underscored the early restoration of peace and stability.
According to an Iranian statement, Raisi recalled the history of India's struggle for independence and its position as one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), urging it to use "all its capacities" to end Israel's "crimes against the oppressed people of Gaza".
Raisi said that Iran supports any global joint effort for an immediate ceasefire, lifting the blockade and providing aid to the oppressed people of Gaza. "The continuation of the killing of the Palestinian people has infuriated of all the free nations of the world and this killing will have extra-regional consequences," he said.
Palestinian resistance groups have legitimate right...: Raisi
During the conversation, Raisi highlighted that Israel killed the "oppressed" and innocent women and children, along with attacking hospitals, schools, mosques, churches and residential areas. "Palestinian resistance groups have a legitimate right to confront the occupation of the usurping Zionist regime and all countries must support the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom from oppression," he said.
He also slammed Western countries for condemning the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, equating it with Nazi Germany and the allied forces in the Second World War. He also called the United States as the main accomplice of Israel's atrocities in Gaza due to "its all-round financial, weapons and intelligence support.
"The mass killing of the people of Gaza is the most anti-human crime in the 21st century, which must be stopped immediately," said the Iranian President, additionally warning that continued attacks by Israel will have "extra-regional consequences".
Raisi on relations with India
In another part of the conversation with PM Modi, Raisi described Iran's view of relations with India as strategic and emphasised the necessity of planning for the development of cooperation and compensating for the delays in this field, according to the statement.
He also expected India to make serious investments to strengthen sustainable economic cooperation, including in Chabahar Port, while highlighting the benefits of the 7,200 km-long International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
The Iranian readout also said that PM Modi expressed concern over the situation and thanked the Iran President "for his supportive and enlightening positions in explaining the Palestinian developments correctly and condemned the killing of civilians" by Israel. "India insists on stopping these attacks and reopening the crossings to send humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," the statement quoted the Indian PM as saying.
PM Modi also said that India considers Iran "very important and effective" in stopping the deaths of women and children in the besieged Gaza Strip and delivering humanitarian aid to them, read the statement.
India's diplomatic efforts in Middle East
Notably, the latest development came as more than 10,000 people including women and children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the day the Israeli Defence Forces started its operation- "Wipe out Hamas", according to the local health ministry. However, India TV is not in the position to independently verify this claim amid the fact the Gaza health ministry is run by Hamas.
It is worth mentioning ever since the war between the two Middle Eastern nations escalated earlier last month, the Indian Prime Minister held telephonic conversations with several leaders including his Israeli counterpart and "friend" Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, UAE President, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UK PM Rishi Sunak. During the conversations with all these leaders, PM Modi reiterated its stance against terrorism while advocating for early resolution of the conflict.
Besides, he also urged both leaders to allow the passage of humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged nations. Later, New Delhi also sent its aircraft filled with medical aid and other critical equipment.
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