New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 'speak up' on the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, saying that the silence diminishes India's standing in the world.

Rahul Gandhi said that India must be 'morally clear' on the conflict and should have 'courage to defend' international law and human lives.

'India must be morally clear. We should have the courage to speak plainly in defence of international law and human lives. Our foreign policy is rooted in sovereignty and the peaceful resolution of disputes - and it must remain consistent,' he said in a post on X.

'PM Modi must speak up. Does he support the assassination of a head of state as a way to define the world order? Silence now diminishes India's standing in the world,' he added.

Expressing concern about the escalating hostilities in the West Asia region, he also encouraged dialogue and restraint to restore peace.

'Escalating hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran are pushing a fragile region toward wider conflict. Crores of people, including nearly a crore Indians, face uncertainty. While security concerns are real, attacks that violate sovereignty will only worsen the crisis. The unilateral attacks on Iran, as well as Iran's attacks on other Middle Eastern nations, must be condemned. Violence begets violence - dialogue and restraint remain the only path to peace,' he said.

https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2028742606575034428

Meanwhile, Israel conducted strikes in both Iran and Beirut on Tuesday, escalating the tensions even further, while Iran, in retaliation, struck the US Embassy in Riyadh.

The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Reuters, that the US Embassy in Riyadh was struck by a drone attack. It also shared that two more US soldiers were killed in Operation Epic Fury, bringing the American toll to six.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that the US forces carried out sustained operations targeting key Iranian military infrastructure, including facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Iran claimed to have launched a 'massive missile and drone' attack on the US air base in Bahrain. Iran's IRGC said it destroyed the main command building of a US air base in Bahrain during a drone and missile attack early Tuesday. It said that 20 drones and 3 missiles struck the Sheikh Isa base, also setting fuel tanks on fire.

In response to the joint American-Israeli strikes in which Ayatollah Khamenei was killed, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike.

World leaders and international bodies are currently urging de-escalation as the risk of a wider regional conflict grows, though fighting continues without a clear end in sight. (ANI)