Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, on Tuesday, 18 August, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for playing a 'transformative role' in India's development, citing the country's economic growth, infrastructure expansion, and rising global stature. The remarks came during a special interaction in New Delhi, where Azar also addressed escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the implications of a new regional defence pact.

Modi's Knesset Address and Israel's Admiration

Azar recalled Prime Minister Modi's address at a Special Plenary of the Knesset in Jerusalem earlier this year — the first by an Indian Prime Minister at the Israeli parliament — as a defining moment in bilateral ties. 'There's no doubt that Prime Minister Modi has played a transformative role in the development of India. You can see it when you live here, when you see the data about the development of India, when you watch the empowerment of the young generation here, the growth rate of the economy, the building of the infrastructure, the reforms, the fact that India now is getting open to the world,' Azar said.

He added that the Knesset speech was 'historic' and that 'the people of Israel admire PM Modi like many other countries in the world.'

Iran and the Strait of Hormuz Standoff

The Israeli envoy also weighed in on the geopolitical fallout following the end of a 60-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran on Monday. US President Donald Trump stated that Tehran seeks an agreement with Washington but is unwilling to accept the terms he considers necessary. Trump has also claimed that the US holds 'total control' over the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and Oman have agreed on a new maritime traffic route through the strait.

Azar asserted that Iran has been 'debilitated quite substantially' and is attempting to 'extort the international community' through its moves in the strait. He argued the strategy is counterproductive, pointing to a wave of pipeline projects designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz — including a reported $60 billion pipeline from Iraq through Turkey and Syria to the Mediterranean, the Saudi East-West pipeline, a planned Gulf pipeline from Iraq to the UAE, and upgrades to the UAE's own pipeline network.

'So, I think that this was one time card that has been used by Iran pretty unwisely. And at the end of the day, it's not going to produce an alternative, it's not going to give a victory to Iran to cover over their defeat that is quite substantial, both militarily and also economically,' Azar said.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and Regional Realignment

Security analysts in Tel Aviv have reportedly suggested that Pakistan is seeking to reframe the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on 7 August between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan — ostensibly aimed at deterring a potential Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia — into a broader Muslim front against Israel and India. Turkey's Foreign Minister drew a comparison between the pact and Article 5 of NATO.

Azar, however, urged caution in reading too much into the pact at this stage. He noted the historically fraught relationship between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, referencing the Jamal Khashoggi case and Turkey's past attempts to advance the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in the kingdom. 'I think that the current situation has more to do with the increasing threat coming from Iran, and the fact that Iran decided to attack Saudi Arabia unilaterally. But it remains to be seen,' he said, adding that previous regional organisations had not reached NATO-comparable cohesion.

Pakistan's Role: Diplomatic Posturing or Genuine Leverage?

Experts cited in reports argue that the Iran conflict has created an 'optical illusion' around Pakistan's diplomatic standing, with Islamabad claiming credit for brokering a ceasefire while struggling to rehabilitate an international image damaged by years of isolation. With no breakthrough in sight, the earlier memorandum of understanding is said to have effectively collapsed.

Azar was measured in his assessment of Pakistan's role. 'I don't think that Pakistan has been involved militarily. There has been a diplomatic role that has been designated by the United States. So far, that effort is not very successful because we can see that the MoU that was signed a few months back has been breached by Iran, and the IRGC decided to attack ships in the strait in contradiction to the agreement that was signed,' he said. 'So it remains to be seen to what extent that country can be useful to anybody.'

As regional tensions continue to evolve, Azar's remarks underscore Israel's close watch on the interplay between Iran's strategic moves, the new defence alignments in the Muslim world, and their implications for both India and Israel.