Friday, April 12, war clouds were looming over West Asia, and New Delhi, “in view of the prevailing situation in the region,” advised Indians not to travel to Iran and Israel till further notice.
According to the MEA advise, anyone currently residing in Iran or Israel should contact their respective Indian embassies and register. The statement said, “They are also asked to take the strictest safety precautions and limit their movement” The statement went on to say, “They are also asked to take the strictest safety precautions and limit their movement.”
The advise from New Delhi comes at a time when a large number of Indian workers have arrived in Israel or are on their way there. Following the October 7 assaults, Israel suspended the work licenses of thousands of Palestinians and Arab migrants, who had previously constituted the majority of the country’s workforce. This resulted in a severe labour shortfall, which Indians are currently filling.
Escalating tensions between Israel and Iran
On April 1, suspected Israeli warplanes hit Iran’s embassy in Damascus, Syria, killing seven military advisers, three of them were senior commanders, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a Quds Force commander.
Notably, Zahedi was directly responsible for overseeing Iran’s contacts with the Syrian government, Shia militias, and the Lebanese Hezbollah.
While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the incident, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Wednesday that Israel “must and will be punished.” In reaction, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin According to Benjamin Netanyahu, “We will harm whoever harms us.” We are ready to meet Israel’s demands for security on all fronts, offensive and defensive.”
The cautious West advises prudence.
The US State Department cautioned Americans in Israel on Thursday not to leave big cities, which are better shielded from incoming rocket fire by the country’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The guideline stated that US government employees’ travel may be further curtailed with minimal notice.
On Friday, both the French and the Russians issued travel advisories, with the French advising citizens “to completely refrain” from visiting Israel, Iran, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories, and the Russians advising citizens not to visit “the Middle East, especially Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine”.
Countries have urged Iran to display prudence in order to prevent escalating the regional crisis.Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “At this point, it’s very important for everyone to maintain restraint so as not to lead to a complete destabilization of the situation in the region, which doesn’t exactly shine with stability and predictability.”
Similarly, British Foreign Minister David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged their Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, to exercise greatest prudence and avoid any escalations.
So what will Iran do?
As the world awaits Iran’s reaction with bated breath, there is some precedence to consider. Tehran replied two weeks after the death of former Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani by firing ballistic missiles toward US forces stationed at al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq.
According to recent American media reports, some US officials believe Iran may launch retaliatory attacks within the next 48 hours.
However, for Israel, any escalation ladder can be disastrous. According to experts, Israel’s response will be determined by whether Tehran attacks Israeli targets in Israel or elsewhere in the area.
If the target is in the region, such as an embassy or consulate in West Asia, the response may be considered proportionate. However, if the target is inside Israeli land, Netanyahu will be obligated to respond, and things might soon worsen.
