NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday stated that he spoke to his Iranian counterpart amid escalating violence within the Middle East after Iran launched an intensive assault with tons of of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.

Jaishankar in a tweet stated that he took up the problem of 17 Indian crew members of cargo ship MSC Aries with Iran foriegn minister H Amirabdollahian.

“Spoke to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran H.Amirabdollahian this evening. Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy,” Jaishankar wrote on X.

On Saturday, 17 Indians among the many 25-member crew of MSC Aries was seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards within the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized the Israeli-linked cargo ship, days after Tehran stated it might shut the essential transport route and warned it will retaliate for an Israeli strike on its Syria consulate.

Meanwhile, in response to the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, ministry of exterior affairs (MEA) on Sunday issued a press release expressing critical concern over the potential menace to regional peace and safety. “We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region,” the MEA stated within the assertion.

The ministry referred to as for an instantaneous de-escalation of the state of affairs, emphasizing the significance of exercising restraint and refraining from additional violence. Stressing the necessity for diplomacy to prevail, India urged each events to step again from confrontation and search peaceable resolutions to their variations.