'Right Moment': Israel Ambassador To India Claims That Final Decision To Attack Iran Came After PM Modi Visit

The article analyses the timing of the US-Israel attack on Iran, noting long-term planning and US coordination, and how Modi's Israel visit coincided with the operational window and regional implications.

Israel’s ambassador to India has said that the “right moment” for the recent US-Israel attack on Iran was reached only after years of preparation, and that the final operational window emerged after Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed a two-day state visit to Israel and returned to India.

Reuven Azar told The Indian Express that the timing of the strike was not set while Prime Minister Modi was in Israel. “It was an operational opportunity that came up only after Prime Minister Modi left,” Azar said, adding that although regional tensions were discussed with the visiting leader, “we couldn't have actually shared something that we didn't know”.

US-Israel Attack On Iran And PM Modi’s Israel Visit

The trip saw Prime Minister Modi address the Knesset, meet Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and state that India stood with Israel “firmly with full conviction”. Images of the visit showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by Benjamin Netanyahu as the visit concluded, underscoring the close public messaging from both governments.

Azar said the security cabinet in Israel approved the launch of the operation on a Saturday morning, roughly two days after Prime Minister Modi departed from Tel Aviv. The envoy stressed that the nod came only once the specific operational conditions aligned, and that broader strategic planning had been under way for several years.

US-Israel attack on Iran and long-term planning

Explaining the scale of preparation for the US-Israel attack on Iran, Azar said the country had “prepared at the highest level”. Israel, facing threats from Iran over many years, studied Iranian networks, command structures and locations, Azar said, while also investing billions to upgrade defence systems against both Iran and allied groups.

Azar added that close security coordination with Washington had been in place well before the current strike window. “And now, before this operation, we've been coordinating with the United States for a long time and been waiting for the right moment (to attack the Iranian leadership), which we didn't know when was going to happen,” Azar was quoted as saying.

Political Backlash In India

The timing of the US-Israel attack on Iran, coming soon after Modi’s visit, fuelled sharp criticism from the Opposition. Congress leaders argued that the strike was widely expected because of the tense situation in West Asia and the breakdown of several talks between Tehran and Washington over regional issues.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said on X that “This Israel visit was shameful and it is even more so in light of the war that has been launched by two of Mr. Modi's 'good friends',” referring to Netanyahu and United States President Donald Trump, who have both earlier described Modi as a good friend.

Ramesh accused the prime minister of “highest moral cowardice” and linked that charge directly to Modi’s statement in the Knesset. “Mr. Modi nevertheless chose to go to Israel, where he displayed the highest moral cowardice. He declared that India stood with Israel and got himself an award for saying so,” the Congress MP wrote, using the visit to question the government’s foreign policy choices.

On the other hand, India has issued advisories for its citizens in Gulf countries, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, urging caution amid flight cancellations and delays linked to the conflict. Officials are monitoring developments as Indian travellers and workers across the region face uncertainty due to the continuing impact of the US-Israel attack on Iran.