Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior cabinet officials following his historic address to the Knesset, becoming the first Indian leader to speak before Israel’s parliament.

Modi’s speech marked what analysts describe as a watershed moment in India–Israel relations, signaling the full normalization and elevation of ties between the two countries.

Although diplomatic relations were established in 1992, engagement remained relatively cautious for years. The address reflects a new phase in which cooperation is openly strategic and acknowledged at the highest political level.

Defense, Technology and Regional Security

During their discussions, Modi and Netanyahu focused on expanding defense collaboration, counterterrorism cooperation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, water management and agricultural innovation.

Defense remains central to the partnership, with Israel among India’s leading suppliers of advanced military systems, including missile technology and surveillance equipment. Officials also explored joint research initiatives, technology transfers and private-sector investment opportunities aimed at strengthening trade and innovation.

Regional security developments and the broader geopolitical landscape in the Middle East were also high on the agenda.

While India has long supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, New Delhi has increasingly pursued a pragmatic foreign policy that deepens ties with Israel while maintaining relations with Arab states and Iran.

Diplomatic Significance

An invitation to address the Knesset is regarded as a mark of close partnership and Modi’s appearance places India among a select group of nations whose leaders have addressed the Israeli legislature, underscoring India’s growing global stature and its importance to Israel as a major Asian power and economic partner.

In his speech, Modi highlighted shared democratic values, innovation-driven growth and cooperation against terrorism. Observers however say the symbolism of the address could have lasting impact, embedding the relationship at an institutional level beyond executive agreements.

Official Visit and Expanding Ties

Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at deepening ties with a key trade and defense partner. In a departure statement, he described the relationship as a “robust and multifaceted strategic partnership” that has “significantly strengthened in the last few years.”

Earlier this week, officials in New Delhi opened discussions on a proposed India–Israel Free Trade Agreement. Bilateral merchandise trade reached $3.62 billion in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, according to the Indian government.

The relationship extends beyond trade however, and Israeli drone and surveillance technology has featured prominently in India’s defense modernization, including during its May 2025 standoff with Pakistan. In addition, Indian conglomerate Adani Group operates Israel’s Haifa port, highlighting growing commercial integration.

At the same time, India continues to balance its Middle East policy, maintaining strong ties with Gulf Arab states and Iran, including development of Iran’s Chabahar port as a gateway to Afghanistan. New Delhi has also backed broader connectivity initiatives such as the proposed India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, unveiled in 2023 but slowed by the Gaza conflict.

Reaction in India

Modi’s visit has meanwhile generated debate at home. Supporters describe the Knesset address as a proud diplomatic milestone that reflects India’s emergence as a confident global power. Strategic analysts say it demonstrates New Delhi’s ability to manage complex relationships across the Middle East without compromising its broader interests.

However, some opposition figures have urged the government to maintain balance in its West Asia policy. Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi called on Modi to raise concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza during his address.

India, home to about 1.4 billion people — including an estimated 220 million Muslims — has historically supported Palestinian statehood even as it strengthens strategic cooperation with Israel.

Modi’s landmark speech and high-level meetings are however widely seen as consolidating a partnership that has evolved from cautious engagement into a comprehensive strategic relationship spanning defense, trade and technology.

The State Department is pulling out non-essential government personnel and their eligible family members from the U.S. embassy in Beirut, a senior State Department official said on Monday, amid growing concerns about the risk of a military conflict with Iran, Reuters reported.

“We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel,” said a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The Embassy remains operational with core staff in place. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist U.S. citizens,” the official said.

A source at the U.S. embassy said 50 people had been evacuated, while an official at Beirut airport said 32 embassy staff, along with family members, had flown out of Beirut airport on Monday.

The U.S. has built up one of its biggest military deployments in the Middle East, with President Donald Trump warning on Monday that it will be a “very bad day” for Iran if no deal is reached to solve a longstanding dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran has threatened to strike American bases in the region if it is attacked.

“Should employees occupying emergency positions wish to depart post, please review alternative arrangements to fill the emergency position and consult with your regional bureau Executive Office as necessary,” said an internal State Department cable on the pullout, which was seen by Reuters.

The State Department on Monday updated its travel advisory for Lebanon, repeating its warning that U.S. citizens should not travel to the country. Remaining embassy personnel are restricted from personal travel without advance permission and additional travel restrictions may be imposed “with little to no notice due to increased security issues or threats,” the advisory said.

American interests were repeatedly targeted in Lebanon in the 1980s during the 1975-90 civil war, during which the U.S. held the Iran-backed Hezbollah responsible for attacks including the 1983 suicide bombing against the U.S. Marines’ headquarters in Beirut, which killed 241 servicemen, and a 1983 suicide attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut that killed 49 embassy staff, read the report.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is scheduled to travel to Israel on Saturday and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was still planning to do that, but “the schedule remains subject to change,” the U.S. official said.

The United States wants Iran to give up its nuclear program, but Iran has adamantly refused and denied it is trying to develop an atomic weapon. Washington views enrichment inside Iran as a potential pathway to nuclear weapons.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that he expects to meet with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Geneva on Thursday, adding that there was still “a good chance” of a diplomatic solution. A U.S. official confirmed the meeting.

Both sides remain sharply divided – even over the scope and sequencing of relief from crippling U.S. sanctions – following two rounds of talks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

“I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

On Friday, citing officials on both sides and diplomats across the Gulf and Europe, Reuters reported that Tehran and Washington are sliding rapidly toward military conflict as hopes fade for a diplomatic settlement, Reuters reported.

It would be the second time the U.S. and Israel have attacked Iran in less than a year, following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against military and nuclear facilities last June.

On Sunday, Witkoff said the president was curious as to why Iran has not yet “capitulated” and agreed to curb its nuclear program.

Iran and the U.S. will hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on Sunday, amid growing concerns about the risk of military conflict between the longtime adversaries.

The U.S. has built up its military presence in the Middle East, with President Donald Trump warning on Thursday that “really bad things will happen” if no deal is reached to solve a longstanding dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme, Reuters reported.

“Pleased to confirm U.S.-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday, with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal,” said Oman’s foreign minister, who acts as a mediator in indirect talks between Washington and Tehran.

Reuters reported on Sunday that Iran was offering fresh concessions on its nuclear programme in order to reach a deal, as long as it includes the lifting of economic sanctions and recognises Tehran’s right to “peaceful nuclear enrichment”.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian voiced cautious optimism on Sunday in a post on X saying recent negotiations had “yielded encouraging signals”, while pointing at Tehran’s readiness for “any potential scenario”.

TRUMP CURIOUS AS TO WHY TEHRAN HASN’T ‘CAPITULATED’

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who leads nuclear negotiations on the U.S. side, said on Saturday that the U.S. President was curious as to why Iran has not yet “capitulated” and agreed to curb its nuclear programme.

“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated,’ because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t… I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff said during an interview with Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump,” hosted by the president’s daughter-in-law.

“Why, under this pressure, with the amount of seapower and naval power over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’? And yet it’s sort of hard to get them to that place.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reacted in a post on X saying: “Curious to know why we do not capitulate? Because we are Iranian.”

He also said in an interview with CBS that a diplomatic solution with the U.S. was still within reach.

IRAN DENIES SEEKING NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Indirect talks last year did not bring any agreement, primarily due to friction over a U.S. demand that Iran forgo uranium enrichment on its soil, which Washington views as a pathway to a nuclear bomb. Iran has denied seeking such weapons.

The U.S. joined Israel in hitting Iranian nuclear sites in June, effectively curtailing Iran’s uranium enrichment, with Trump saying its key nuclear sites were “obliterated”. But Iran is still believed to possess stockpiles enriched previously, which Washington wants it to relinquish.

“They’ve been enriching well beyond the number that you need for civil nuclear. It’s up to 60% (fissile purity),” Witkoff said. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial, industrial-grade bomb-making material, and that’s really dangerous.”

Fresh concessions being considered by Iran include sending half of its highly enriched uranium abroad while diluting the rest.

Washington has also sought to expand the talks beyond the nuclear issue to cover Iran’s missile programme and its support for regional armed groups. Iran has publicly rejected this, although sources have told Reuters that unlike the missiles, support for armed groups may not be a red line for Tehran.

Another topic of friction is the scope and mechanism of lifting sanctions on Iran. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday that Iran and the United States still have differing views.

Witkoff also said he has met at Trump’s direction with Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah ousted in Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. He did not provide further details of the meeting.

Pahlavi, who lives in exile, served as a rallying figure for some of Iran’s opposition during anti-government demonstrations last month in which thousands of people are believed to have been killed, the worst domestic unrest since the revolution era.

Earlier in February, Pahlavi said U.S. military intervention in Iran could save lives, and urged Washington not to spend too long negotiating with Tehran’s clerical rulers on a nuclear deal.