India Welcomes Iran-Israel Ceasefire, Role Played by US and Qatar

New Delhi: India welcomes the ceasefire between Iran and Israel as well as the US and Qatar's role in facilitating it, the external affairs ministry said on Tuesday (June 24) evening as hostilities between the two West Asian powers settled into an uneasy calm.

“We welcome reports of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel and the role played by the US and Qatar in bringing it about” even as India remains “deeply concerned” over the prospects of overall security and stability in the region, it said in a statement.

Hours after Iran launched missiles at an American military base in Qatar in response to the US's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities two days ago, US President Donald Trump announced early on Tuesday in Indian time that Tehran and Tel Aviv would cease fire, following which their “12 Day War” would come to an end.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said that Doha liaised with Iran on Washington's request.

In its statement, New Delhi also reiterated that “there is no alternative to dialogue and diplomacy” in resolving the region's conflicts.

“India stands ready to play its part in these efforts and hopes that all concerned parties will work towards sustained peace and stability,” it further said.

However, soon after the ceasefire was to take effect, its status became unclear when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles at it. It said it retaliated by destroying a radar facility near Tehran.

Iran has denied violating the ceasefire.

But Israel has “refrained from additional attacks” on Iran following a conversation between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latter's office said.

Trump said both sides violated the ceasefire, claiming that Israel dropped “the biggest load” of bombs, “the likes of which I've never seen before”, immediately after the deal was struck but before it was to fully take effect.

“I'm not happy with Israel,” he told reporters, adding that although he was also unhappy with Tehran he was especially miffed with Tel Aviv.

He continued: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the [expletive] they're doing. Do you understand that?”

Earlier he had cautioned Israel against ‘dropping those bombs’, saying that doing so would constitute “a major violation”.

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!,” he said thereafter.

The conflict began on June 13 when Israel struck military and nuclear targets in Iran on the alleged grounds that Tehran was on the cusp of obtaining nuclear weapons, which it said posed it an existential threat.

As the two sides launched missiles at each other in the days to come – resulting in deaths on either side – the US entered the conflict on Sunday by bombing three key nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran, with Trump claiming the targets were ‘completely and totally obliterated’.

Iran's missile strikes on the US's Al Udeid air base in Qatar followed on Monday.

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