As Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv issued a security advisory to its nationals in Israel. (Reuters adds: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Iran had launched tens of missiles at Israel, and that if Israel retaliated, Tehran’s response would be “more crushing and ruinous”. A senior Iranian official said the order to launch missiles at Israel was made by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei remains in a secure location, the senior official added. The Israeli Army said Israel’s airspace was closed following the Iranian attack. Alarms sounded across Israel and explosions could be heard in Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley after Israelis piled into bomb shelters. Reporters on state television lay flat on the ground during live broadcasts. Israeli Army radio said nearly 200 missiles had been launched into Israel from Iran. Earlier, the military had announced that any ballistic missile strike from Iran was expected to be widespread and told the public to shelter in safe rooms in the event of an attack. The firing of missiles came after Israel said its troops had launched ground raids into Lebanon, though it described the forays as limited.) Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is “very much concerned” at the “possibility of a broadening of the conflict” in the region, including what happens “between Iran and Israel”. Speaking at a Carnegie event in Washington DC, Jaishankar, while responding to a question on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, said that India regards October 7 as a “terrorist attack” and understands that Israel had a need to respond. “But, we also believe that any response by any country has to take into account international humanitarian law, that it must be careful about any damage or any implications for civilian populations. Given what has happened in Gaza, it is important to have some kind of international humanitarian effort out there,” he said. “We are very much concerned at the possibility of a broadening of the conflict, not just what happened in Lebanon but also. to the Houthis and the Red Sea and you know to some extent anything that happens between Iran and Israel,” he said. “If as part of that concern, you can end up doing something about it. Again, don't underestimate the importance of communication in difficult times. If there are things to be said and passed on and passed back, I think those are all contributions that we can make and we do,” he said. RAW FOOTAGE: Watch as Iranian missiles rain over the Old City in Jerusalem, a holy site for Muslims, Christians and Jews. This is the target of the Iranian regime: everyone. pic.twitter.com/rIqUZWN3zy — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 1, 2024 In its advisory, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv said: “In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols as advised by the local authorities.” It also asked all Indian nationals to register with the embassy. “Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters. The embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals,” it said. Meanwhile, an Indian naval fleet has berthed at Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas for a joint exercise with the Iranian Navy in the Persian Gulf’s waters, according to Iranian news outlet Mehr News. “The Indian Navy’s 'peace and friendship' fleet, which includes three destroyers under the command of Captain Anshul Kishore, has docked in Iran’s Bandar Abbas. According to Iranian Navy officer Captain Masoud Beigi, the naval forces of the two countries are going to hold a joint exercise north of the Hormuz Strait. He noted that the Indian forces on board the visiting combat and training fleet will also tour the cultural and recreational sites of Bandar Abbas during their four-day stay in Iran. The Iranian commander said such reciprocal visits would strengthen the friendly relations between the Navies of the two countries,” the report said. - With Divya A
