Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has underscored the critical necessity of regional stability for the safety of millions of Indian citizens.

In a recent dialogue, he highlighted that high-level communication remains constant between Jerusalem and New Delhi, ensuring that the Indian government is fully briefed on the shifting security dynamics across West Asia.

This strategic transparency aims to align mutual interests as the regional landscape undergoes significant transformation.

The Ambassador pointed out that the current operations are not merely local conflicts but are essential to neutralising broader threats from Iran. He described the Iranian regime as a radical theocracy pursuing a nuclear arsenal, thousands of ballistic missiles, and an extensive fleet of drones.

According to Azar, this military build-up poses a direct risk to the stability of the entire region, which could ultimately undermine the lives and livelihoods of the ten million Indian expatriates currently residing and working in the Gulf.

Beyond immediate physical safety, the envoy linked the success of these security measures to the viability of ambitious economic visions like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). 

He suggested that for West Asia to become a global investment hub, the "malign influence" of disruptive forces must be curtailed. The Ambassador noted that India’s numerous trade agreements depend on the secure movement of merchandise between the East and the West, a flow that is currently jeopardised by regional volatility.

Azar was candid regarding the prerequisites for large-scale connectivity projects, asserting that no economic endeavour can thrive without solid political and security foundations.

He argued that it is unrealistic to expect significant investor confidence in a region where a regime is actively attempting to destabilise neighbouring Arab nations or threaten the existence of Israel. Only by consolidating a secure environment can the political agreements necessary for economic expansion truly flourish.

The diplomat concluded by emphasising that the removal of these systemic threats would pave the way for a more attractive and stable West Asian investment landscape. By changing the conduct of the current regime in Tehran, the region could finally transition from a state of constant threat to one of integrated economic cooperation.

This shift, he believes, would bring rapid economic growth and safeguard the long-term interests of India and its vast diaspora in the Middle East.

ANI