Reuven Azar, Israel's ambassador to India, speaking at WION’s World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18), said the ongoing war with Iran might take a few weeks to end. Azar pencilled out Israel’s strategic objectives and expectations in the ongoing West Asia conflict, stressing that the war is aimed at eliminating what he described as ‘existential threats’ posed by Iran.Azar said that Israel’s military campaign is focused on dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme, which he claimed posed a long-term danger not only to Israel but to the broader region. As per Azar, Israeli forces have already made significant progress by targeting leadership structures and key military capabilities, including the Basij forces. He acknowledged the global economic ripple effects of the conflict, particularly on fuel and food prices. Still, he argued that these consequences are minor compared to the risks of a nuclear-armed Iran. “By defending ourselves, we are making the entire region safer,” Azar said.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/next-war-would-be-fought-in-space-says-dr-prahlada-rama-rao-at-wion-pulse-summit-next-game-changer-1773822691077">Next war would be fought in space, says Dr Prahlada Ramarao, the man behind India's Akash missile, at WION World Pulse summit&nbsp;</a>Speaking on concerns about the duration of the conflict, Azar said that Israel has the operational capacity to sustain military efforts for several more weeks. While international reactions have been mixed, he suggested that Gulf nations support Israel’s actions due to longstanding tensions with Iran.&nbsp;On the possibility of escalation, Azar clarified that a full-scale ground invasion is unlikely, though limited special operations cannot be ruled out. He stressed that Israel does not intend to topple the Iranian regime forcibly, but hoped its actions will weaken it enough to allow internal change.&nbsp;“I don't think that the US is going to invade Iran, but I feel that we have quite a good prospect of promoting stability and freeing us from this threat.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-how-trade-and-trust-redefining-global-order-1773828888968/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-how-trade-and-trust-redefining-global-order-1773828888968/embed</a>&nbsp;Highlighting India’s strategic importance, Azar praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s balanced approach, noting India’s ties with both Israel and Iran.&nbsp;He underscored that stability in West Asia is critical for India’s economic ambitions, particularly given the large Indian diaspora in the Gulf region. On connectivity initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Azar admitted that progress may slow due to the conflict but remained optimistic about its long-term potential. He stressed that such projects are important for boosting trade, energy cooperation, and regional integration once stability is restored.Towards the end of the chat, Azar expressed confidence that the weakening of Iran’s military capabilities could pave the way for greater economic cooperation and long-term prosperity across West Asia, benefiting not just regional players but partners like India.

Reuven Azar, Israel's ambassador to India, speaking at WION’s World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18), said that the war might take a few weeks to end

Reuven Azar, Israel's ambassador to India, speaking at WION’s World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18), said the ongoing war with Iran might take a few weeks to end. Azar pencilled out Israel’s strategic objectives and expectations in the ongoing West Asia conflict, stressing that the war is aimed at eliminating what he described as ‘existential threats’ posed by Iran. Azar said that Israel’s military campaign is focused on dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme, which he claimed posed a long-term danger not only to Israel but to the broader region. As per Azar, Israeli forces have already made significant progress by targeting leadership structures and key military capabilities, including the Basij forces. He acknowledged the global economic ripple effects of the conflict, particularly on fuel and food prices. Still, he argued that these consequences are minor compared to the risks of a nuclear-armed Iran. “By defending ourselves, we are making the entire region safer,” Azar said. Also Read: Next war would be fought in space, says Dr Prahlada Ramarao, the man behind India's Akash missile, at WION World Pulse summit Speaking on concerns about the duration of the conflict, Azar said that Israel has the operational capacity to sustain military efforts for several more weeks. While international reactions have been mixed, he suggested that Gulf nations support Israel’s actions due to longstanding tensions with Iran. On the possibility of escalation, Azar clarified that a full-scale ground invasion is unlikely, though limited special operations cannot be ruled out. He stressed that Israel does not intend to topple the Iranian regime forcibly, but hoped its actions will weaken it enough to allow internal change. “I don't think that the US is going to invade Iran, but I feel that we have quite a good prospect of promoting stability and freeing us from this threat.” https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-how-trade-and-trust-redefining-global-order-1773828888968/embed Highlighting India’s strategic importance, Azar praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s balanced approach, noting India’s ties with both Israel and Iran. He underscored that stability in West Asia is critical for India’s economic ambitions, particularly given the large Indian diaspora in the Gulf region. On connectivity initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Azar admitted that progress may slow due to the conflict but remained optimistic about its long-term potential. He stressed that such projects are important for boosting trade, energy cooperation, and regional integration once stability is restored. Towards the end of the chat, Azar expressed confidence that the weakening of Iran’s military capabilities could pave the way for greater economic cooperation and long-term prosperity across West Asia, benefiting not just regional players but partners like India.

Reuven Azar, Israel's ambassador to India, speaking at WION’s World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18), said that the war might take a few weeks to end

'Gulf countries want US and Israel to succeed in Iran war', says Reuven Azar, Israeli ambassador to India at WION World Pulse summit

Reuven Azar, Israel's Ambassador to India, on Tuesday issued a sharply worded retort to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the latter's post on X that the former's country is carrying out a genocide in Gaza, accusing her of "deceit".&nbsp;Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote on X that Israel had killed 60000 Palestinians, including children, and has been starving the population of Gaza as part of its "genocide".&nbsp;Hours after the post, the Israeli&nbsp;official lambasted the Wayanad MP, advising her to "not buy Hamas numbers".&nbsp;"What is shameful is your deceit. Israel killed 25,000 Hamas terrorists. The terrible cost in human lives derives from Hamas’s heinous tactics of hiding behind civilians, their shooting of people trying to evacuate or receive assistance, and their rocket fire. Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to sequester them, thereby creating hunger. The Gaza population has grown 450% in the last 50 years, no genocide there. Don’t buy Hamas numbers," he wrote.&nbsp;Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had called the Indian government's stand on Israel's onslaught on Gaza "shameful".&nbsp;"The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children. It has starved hundreds to death, including many children, and is threatening to starve millions. Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself. It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine," she wrote.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">What is shameful is your deceit. Israel Killed 25,000 Hamas terrorists. The terrible cost in human lives derives from Hamas’s heinous tactics of hiding behind civilians, their shooting of people trying to evacuate or receive assistance and their rocket fire. Israel facilitated 2… <a href="https://t.co/e3lSUwfmXH">https://t.co/e3lSUwfmXH</a>&mdash; 🇮🇱 Reuven Azar (@ReuvenAzar) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReuvenAzar/status/1955158653465661538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;Thousands of Gazans, mostly civilians, died in Israel's air strikes and ground assaults that have been underway since October 2023, in response to Hamas' attack on Israeli cities.&nbsp;Human rights bodies allege that the Israeli military has been blocking aid to Gazans, exacerbating humanitarian crises.

Reuven Azar, Israel's Ambassador to India, on Tuesday issued a sharply worded retort to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the latter's post on X that the former's country is carrying out a genocide in Gaza, accusing her of having "deceit".

Reuven Azar, Israel's Ambassador to India, on Tuesday issued a sharply worded retort to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the latter's post on X that the former's country is carrying out a genocide in Gaza, accusing her of "deceit". Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote on X that Israel had killed 60000 Palestinians, including children, and has been starving the population of Gaza as part of its "genocide". Hours after the post, the Israeli official lambasted the Wayanad MP, advising her to "not buy Hamas numbers". "What is shameful is your deceit. Israel killed 25,000 Hamas terrorists. The terrible cost in human lives derives from Hamas’s heinous tactics of hiding behind civilians, their shooting of people trying to evacuate or receive assistance, and their rocket fire. Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to sequester them, thereby creating hunger. The Gaza population has grown 450% in the last 50 years, no genocide there. Don’t buy Hamas numbers," he wrote. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had called the Indian government's stand on Israel's onslaught on Gaza "shameful". "The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children. It has starved hundreds to death, including many children, and is threatening to starve millions. Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself. It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine," she wrote.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had accused Israel of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

Israeli Ambassador's 'shameful deceit' retort to Priyanka Gandhi's 'genocide' post on X

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'Gulf countries want US and Israel to succeed in Iran war', says Reuven Azar, Israeli ambassador to India at WION World Pulse summit

Israeli Ambassador's 'shameful deceit' retort to Priyanka Gandhi's genocide post