India voices concern over Iran–Gulf situation, urges dialogue and restraint

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Israel all closed their airspaces to civilian traffic, at least in part, and multiple airlines cancelled flights to the Middle East

• India urges restraint and dialogue amid Iran-Gulf escalation
• Indian missions advise citizens in the region to stay vigilant
• US and Israel strike Iran, triggering regional missile attacks

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India has expressed deep concern over the escalating situation in Iran and the wider Gulf region, calling for restraint and dialogue to prevent further instability.

In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "India is deeply concerned at the recent developments in Iran and the Gulf region. We urge all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritise the safety of civilians. Dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate tensions and address underlying issues. Sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected. Our Missions in the region are in touch with Indian nationals and have issued appropriate advisories asking them to remain vigilant, stay in contact with the Missions, and follow local security guidance."

Earlier, in a dramatic escalation in West Asia, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, triggering retaliatory missile barrages from Tehran across the Gulf and into Israeli territory.

Israel’s public broadcaster reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been targeted in the strikes. Smoke was seen rising over Tehran’s Pasteur district, where Khamenei’s residence is located, amid heavy security deployment in the capital.

"Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were among the targets of the attack," Israel's Kan reported, citing an Israeli source.

Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had responded by targeting American and Israeli interests in the region, including the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

"The IRGC's missiles and drones have struck the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and other American bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as military and security centres in the heart of the occupied territories, with severe blows," the Guards said.

Missile salvos were reportedly heard in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Israel and Iraq in the hours following the initial strikes. In the UAE, authorities said one civilian was killed in Iranian strikes, while witnesses in Dubai reported hearing explosions and seeing missiles streak across the sky. Kuwait and the UAE said they intercepted incoming missiles, with Abu Dhabi stating it "reserves its full right to respond" and calling the attacks "a dangerous escalation".

A strike on a school in Iran killed 24 people, according to an Iranian provincial official. In Israel, the military deployed search and rescue teams to several locations after reports of fallen projectiles.

The US embassies in Gulf countries urged American citizens to take shelter, while Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Israel closed their airspace fully or partially. Several airlines suspended flights to the region.

US President Donald Trump said Washington’s goal was "eliminating imminent threats" from Iran.

"The United States' military began major combat operations in Iran," Trump said in a video message posted on his social media site while he spent the weekend at his Florida golf club.

"We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We're going to annihilate their navy," Trump said, warning of possible US casualties.

He offered Iranian forces including the Revolutionary Guards "immunity" should they surrender, or "certain death" if not, and told Iranians the "hour of your freedom is at hand", urging them to rise up and "take over your government".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the call, saying the operation aimed to remove an "existential threat" and urging Iranians to "cast off the yoke of tyranny".

Iran, however, vowed to "respond decisively to the aggressors". An Iraqi armed group, Kataeb Hezbollah, warned: "We will soon begin attacking American bases in response to their aggression."

A Tehran office worker described the moment of impact: "I saw with my own eyes two Tomahawk missiles flying horizontally toward targets. At first we heard a dull noise and thought it was a fighter jet."

Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, said in an online message: "We are very close to final victory. I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran."

With multiple countries closing airspace and tensions spilling across borders, the situation marks one of the most serious escalations in the region in recent years, raising fears of a broader conflict with global consequences.