We do not want to escalate tensions: S Jaishankar

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has said that they did not want to escalate tensions. 

“If military action is taken against us, it will be given a strong response,” he, however, warned in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is visiting India on Thursday morning.

The Indian Foreign Minister said that after the Pahalgam attack on April 22, India targeted the hideouts of terrorists on May 7.

He also said, “We do not want to escalate tensions. But if military action is taken against us, there is no doubt that we will respond very strongly.”

S Jaishankar told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that as a neighbor and a close partner, it is important for you to have a good understanding of the current situation.

At least 43 people have been killed on both sides in the conflict that began after midnight on Tuesday. 

Islamabad said that 31 civilians were killed in Pakistan in Indian missile strikes and cross-border firing. 

New Delhi said that at least 16 people were killed in Pakistani shelling on its side. Diplomats and world leaders have urged both countries to step back from the brink of war, with US President Donald Trump calling the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan "terrible" and calling for an immediate end.