Tehran has expressed “gratitude” to India’s “freedom-loving” citizens, political parties, institutions and others who stood by Iran in the face of military attacks on it by Israel and the United States of America.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi said that it appreciated the “genuine and invaluable support” to those siding with Tehran. However, it did not make any direct reference to the Government of India.
The conflict between Iran and Israel escalated following the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning.
An Associated Press report via Press Trust of India quoted Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei as confirming on Wednesday that the country’s nuclear facilities had been “badly damaged” in American strikes over the weekend.
Speaking on the news channel Al Jazeera, Iranian spokesman Esmail Baqaei refused to go into details but conceded that the strikes on Sunday by American B-2 bombers using bunker-buster bombs had been significant. “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure,” he said.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. The ceasefire seemed to be holding on Wednesday. In its reaction, New Delhi on Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire and said that it stood ready to play its part to resolve the situation.
The Iranian embassy extended “heartfelt gratitude” to all “freedom-loving” people of India — political parties, members of Parliament, non-governmental organisations, religious and spiritual leaders, university professors, members of the media, social activists, and all individuals and institutions who stood firmly and vocally with Iran.
The Iranian embassy said that messages of solidarity, support, public statements, and active participation in peace-oriented gatherings when the Iranian people were under military assault, were a source of “deep encouragement”.
“The steadfastness of the Iranian people in the face of this blatant aggression was not merely a defence of their homeland and national dignity, but a symbol of resistance against the grave violations of the United Nations Charter, humanitarian principles, and the foundational norms of international law,” it said.
The solidarity of nations with the people of Iran was not simply a political stance, but an affirmation of the universal values of justice, legality, and global peace, it said.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently emphasised [upon] the need to uphold the principles of international law and to resist expansionist and aggressive policies. We firmly believe that the unity and solidarity of nations serve as a powerful bulwark against war, violence, and injustice,” said the embassy.
