Iran vs US-Israel forces: Benjamin Netanyahu thanks PM Modi for support as UAE resumes some flights, Pentagon vows war not 'endless'

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday thanked Modi for "standing with Israel" in the conflict against Iran, saying that the two leaders had spoken "at great length" about the situation in the Middle East.

Modi has also spoken with the UAE's President, Bahrain's King, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, condemning Iran's strikes and calling for peace.

This comes amid growing tensions between the US-Israel forces and Iran (and its allies) that have already claimed four US military personnel so far.

Iran's retaliatory efforts had begun early on after the first wave of Israeli airstrikes, in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it had killed 40 leaders from Tehran's top brass, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Chief of Staff of Iran's armed forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi.

Ali Khamenei's death and a power vacuum

Despite the power vacuum caused by the high-profile assassination, Iran instituted a Leadership Council to rule the country in the interim till a new Supreme Leader is found, as it ramped up its offensive against Israel and US bases in various Middle Eastern countries, prompting widespread airspace closures as the situation deteriorated.

Since then, Khamenei's last post on X—citing a verse from the Quran—has also gone viral, with more than 11 million views and 185,000 likes in just a day.

Khamenei's death also had a ripple effect around the world, with a number of places in India and Pakistan seeing a number of people publicly mourning his loss and protesting.

Amid the possibility of communal violence breaking out over Khamenei's death in India, as well as pressure from hundreds of Indians stranded in Gulf airports—as well as those living in Iran and Israel—PM Narendra Modi chaired a vital meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Sunday night.

India's aviation ministry and the PACR

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has also issued a statement saying that it was closely monitoring passenger grievances through the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR).

"A total of 559 grievances have been addressed during this period," it said, noting that the situation in the Middle East had led to the cancellation of 357 flights that were planned for operation today.

Limited airspace operations in the UAE

Meanwhile, the Dubai International Airport—and the emirate's national carrier, Emirates—said on Monday said that flights would be resumed on a limited basis. Emirates's low-cost arm, flyDubai, will also restart certain flights.

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways will also operate a restricted number of repatriation and cargo services—indicating a possible ease in flight restrictions after two days of airport chaos.

However, as Etihad has said in a press release, all the limited flight operations will be conducted “in coordination with UAE authorities and subject to strict operational and safety approval”.

US-Israel versus Iran will not be 'endless'

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday declared that Operation Epic Fury—the Pentagon's name for coordinated US-Israel strikes on Iran—would not lead to an "endless war".

Speaking at a Pentagon press conference, he added that the “clear, devastating, decisive mission” aimed to “destroy the missile threat” from Iran, destroy its navy, and leave it with “no nukes”.

"No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise. No politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don't waste time or lives," Hegseth pointed out.