EAM Jaishankar speaks to Iranian FM Araghchi amid escalating US-Iran tensions

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Thursday said he spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. "Had a telecon with Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi this afternoon," Jaishankar wrote on X.

The EAM also spoke with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi on the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The development comes a day after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, widening the confrontation between Washington and Tehran beyond the Persian Gulf.

The strike targeted the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka's southern coast. The vessel had been returning to Iran from an eastern Indian port after participating in a naval exercise organised by India.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, on behalf of the Government of India, offered condolences on the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and signed the condolence book at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi.

Khamenei was killed in the initial strikes by the Israel-US on February 28. Though India called for the resolution of the West Asia crisis through dialogue and diplomacy, it chose not to react to Khamenei's killing.

Misri's visit to the Iranian embassy and signing of the condolence book assumed significance as several opposition parties had criticised the government for not reacting to Khamenei's death.

Reacting to the move, former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said: "The right thing to do. We have state-to-state ties with Iran. Good that the FS signed the Condolence Book."

West Asia plunged into crisis after Israel and the US conducted joint military strikes on Iran on February 28. Since then, Iran has struck several locations in the region, claiming it was targeting US bases.

On Thursday, Iran launched a new wave of attacks at Israeli and American bases, and threatened that the US would "bitterly regret" torpedoing an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. Israel said it had begun a "large-scale" attack on Tehran. Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks, and air sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.