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Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday held a telephone conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss regional developments following recent tensions involving the United States and Israel as tensions in West Asia escalate.
According to a statement by Iran's Foreign Ministry, Araghchi also held a separate phone call with Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, during which the leaders discussed the evolving regional situation and bilateral relations. During the conversations, Araghchi described the recent actions by the United States and Israel against Iran as "military aggression" and said governments around the world and the United Nations should condemn what he called "criminal actions". "During the conversations, Iran's foreign minister described the crimes committed by the United States and the Israeli regime in recent days as part of their military aggression against Iran and stressed the responsibility of all governments and the United Nations to firmly condemn the criminal actions of the United States and the Israeli regime," the statement read. The Iranian foreign minister also strongly condemned the US attack on the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena, which was targeted in international waters without prior warning. He stated that Iran intends to pursue the matter through legal and international mechanisms in relevant global bodies. Araghchi further expressed appreciation to Sri Lanka for its role in the rescue operations involving sailors from the Iranian frigate Dena, highlighting the importance of ensuring the safety of Iranian vessels and their crews. Earlier, IRIS Dena sank south of Sri Lanka on March 4 after being struck by a US submarine torpedo approximately 20 nautical miles west of Galle. The Indian Navy then deployed INS Tarangini and INS Ikshak, along with maritime patrol aircraft, to assist in the Sri Lanka-led search and rescue operations for the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena. Of the estimated 180 crew members on board IRIS Dena, around 87 sailors are reported dead, while about 32 survivors were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy and admitted to hospitals in Galle. The development comes amid escalating tensions in West Asia after a joint US-Israel military strike on February 28 on Iranian territory killed its Supreme Leader, Khamenei and other senior figures, prompting a fierce response from Tehran. In retaliation, Iran launched waves of drone and missile attacks across multiple Arab countries, targeting American military bases and Israeli assets throughout the region, with Israel also continuing its strikes on Tehran and widening the conflict to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah. (ANI)
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