Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Friday that Israel was unable to inform Prime Minister Narendra Modi of its strikes on Iran during his recent visit to the country, as the decision on military action was made after he ended his visit.
Modi made a two-day visit to Israel that ended on February 26, two days before Israel and the United States launched joint raids on Iran that led to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Saar, who participated virtually in the Raisina Dialogue, said Israel has “great relations” with Modi and India that have deepened over the years. “But we were not able to inform Prime Minister Modi about this matter as the decision was taken only early on Saturday morning,” he added.
He pointed out that this came after the collapse of negotiations between the United States and Iran. He added that Israeli military action aims to remove “existential threats” emanating from Iran, stressing that Iran continues its nuclear program, develops ballistic missiles and supports Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
“Maybe we have to see a regime change in Iran,” Saar said. He said that Israel is targeting Hezbollah because the group joined the war “against the will” of the Lebanese people and because it serves Iranian interests.
