Jaishankar, UAE FM discuss West Asia situation, ways to reduce escalation

According to a statement from the UAE Foreign Minister's office, Abdullah bin Zayed and Jaishankar discussed ways to de-escalate tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday and discussed the current situation in West Asia and the role of diplomacy.

Jaishankar stated that he and Abdullah bin Zayed agreed to remain in touch.

In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Had a telecon with DPM & FM @ABZayed of UAE on the current situation in West Asia and the role of diplomacy. Agreed to remain in touch."

According to the statement released by the Office of the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin Zayed and Jaishankar discussed ways to reduce escalation and prevent the spread of the conflict in the region.

"Abdulla bin Zayed and @DrSJaishankar discuss during a phone call the latest developments in the region, and ways to reduce escalation and prevent the spread of the conflict in the region," the Office of the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs posted on X.

Tensions have escalated in West Asia after Israel carried out strikes in Iran. On Sunday, Israel conducted a "wide-scale" wave of strikes targeting several weapons production sites in Iran, the Israeli military said. The strikes destroyed infrastructure belonging to the Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Iranian military in Tehran, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

"Numerous weapons production sites across Iran were targeted," the IDF said. These targets included a site for the production of navigation and missile systems, a site for producing fuels for various types of missiles, and a planetary mixer designed for the production of surface-to-surface missile engines.

The IDF also reported that the strikes hit a production site for components of aerial defence systems belonging to the IRGC.

Israel's air force has struck and dismantled military targets in Tehran, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Sunday. "The IAF struck and dismantled surface-to-surface missile production sites, detection radar sites, and surface-to-air missile launchers in Tehran, with the direction of the IDF Intelligence Directorate," the IDF said in a statement. Iran launched a new barrage at Israel on Sunday evening, with an explosion seen in the coastal city of Haifa.

Israel said it began another series of strikes on military targets across Iran amid international pleas for diplomacy and de-escalation, according to CNN. The hostilities have killed at least 224 people in Iran and 14 in Israel, according to local authorities in each country.

As Tehran residents flee the capital, Iran's Ministry of Health said at least 1,481 people had been injured since Israel launched the wave of attacks on Friday. Iran's strikes come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a large-scale military campaign, Operation Rising Lion, aimed at dismantling what he described as an existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Meanwhile, Iran has started the fourth phase of its operation against Israel, semi-official Iranian media outlet Mehr News reported on Sunday. The operation, dubbed Operation True Promise 3, included "hundreds of various ballistic missiles" targeting residential buildings and infrastructure in Israel, Mehr News Agency reported. The attacks are a "decisive response" to Israel's initial strike on Iran, which killed several high-ranking military commanders.