Israel-Iran war: Netanyahu speaks to PM Narendra Modi, other leaders amid airstrikes

Israel-Iran Conflict: On 13 June, following Israel’s unprecedented airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in urgent diplomatic talks with several world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Netanyahu is also scheduled to hold discussions with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer in the coming days.

“The leaders showed understanding for Israel's defense needs in the face of the Iranian threat of annihilation; the Prime Minister said that he would continue to be in contact with them in the coming days.”, an update from the Israeli PMO read. 

Further, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received a call this afternoon from Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Saar to discuss ongoing developments. Later in the evening, Jaishankar held a conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi regarding the latest situation.

Israeli Airstrikes Targeting Iran's Nuclear Facility

The Israeli airstrikes were launched early on Friday under the codename Operation Rising Lion.

The airstrikes targeted Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, missile production sites, and senior military commanders, including the killing of Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

The operation marks a dramatic escalation in the decades-long Israel-Iran conflict, with Israel declaring a state of emergency amid fears of Iranian retaliation by missile and drone attacks.

In recorded remarks, PM Netanyahu described the strikes as a necessary and precise response to what he called an existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. "We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history," he said, emphasising that the campaign would continue as long as needed to eliminate the danger.

The timing of these diplomatic efforts is critical, coming just days before planned international negotiations in Oman aimed at addressing concerns over Iran’s uranium enrichment programme. Israel’s airstrikes have added complexity to the diplomatic landscape, with Iran vowing severe retaliation and regional tensions rising sharply.

Global markets responded swiftly, with oil prices surging amid fears of wider conflict in the Middle East. Airlines suspended flights to and from Israel and Iran, and countries in the region restricted airspace as military alerts heightened.