India on Thursday conveyed condolences over the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei even as the war between Iran and the US-Israel alliance intensified across the region, marked by the sinking of an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean and a sharp rise in casualties inside Iran.Vikram Misri, India’s Foreign Secretary, visited the Iranian embassy in New Delhi and signed the condolence book following Khamenei’s death, officials said, marking New Delhi’s first formal response to the killing of the Iranian leader.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke to Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi amid the deepening crisis and the rapidly deteriorating regional security situation.Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed the evolving situation in West Asia.“Spoke to my friend President Emmanuel Macron today. We discussed our shared concerns over the evolving situation in West Asia and the need for a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We will continue to engage closely and coordinate efforts towards the early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” Modi posted on X.The diplomatic outreach came as the conflict widened dramatically on Thursday after a US navy submarine torpedoed Iranian navy frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka.In a message on X, Araghchi said the warship, which he described as carrying around 130 sailors and having recently visited India as a “guest of the Indian Navy”, had been struck in international waters without warning.“The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores. Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set,” he said.The Sri Lankan authorities said at least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the strike while 32 survivors were rescued and taken to hospitals in Galle. Several others remain missing.A second Iranian warship was heading towards Sri Lanka on Thursday, a day after the sinking of Dena. Sri Lankan minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the vessel was currently outside the country’s territorial waters.Referring to a historical precedent, Jayatissa said the government should clarify its stance and cited the decision taken by former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 to allow a Pakistani aircraft to refuel in Sri Lanka on humanitarian grounds after India closed its airspace.Even as the naval confrontation unfolded, the Iranian authorities said the nationwide death toll from US and Israeli strikes since Saturday had climbed to 1,230.Missiles fired by the US and Israeli forces also struck two schools in the town of Parand, southwest of Tehran, as waves of airstrikes continued to hit military installations, missile facilities and security sites across several Iranian cities, including Isfahan.Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli territory and US-linked military assets across West Asia. Israeli media reported explosions in central Israel after air defence systems intercepted missiles launched from Iran.Tehran said it had carried out drone attacks against US forces at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. The conflict has increasingly spread beyond Iran and Israel.In Lebanon, the Israeli army warned residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut to immediately evacuate their homes, while airstrikes targeted the towns of Harouf and Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon. At least eight people were reported killed in the Israeli attacks across the country on Thursday.In the UAE, the Defence Ministry said one missile and six drones fell inside the country after being intercepted by air defence systems. The authorities in Abu Dhabi said six people were injured by falling drone debris.Meanwhile, Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, demanded an apology from Iran after a drone injured two people in the country’s autonomous exclave of Nakhchivan — a charge Tehran denied.Iran yet to elect new supreme leaderIran has not yet elected the successor of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior Iranian official said on Thursday. Ayatollah Dr Abdul Majeed Hakeemelahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, said the process to elect a new leader was on.Armed conflict no solution: ModiMilitary conflict can’t resolve any issue. There is a need for dialogue and diplomacy. Whether Ukraine or Iran, we’ll support all efforts to end conflicts. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister