New Delhi: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif Wednesday hinted that India being a big foreign player should play its role in defusing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Asked if Iran was content with the position India has taken on the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, Zarif said “it should”, and added India is a “big country”.
The Iranian foreign minister was in New Delhi Wednesday to take part in the Raisina Dialogue jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Observer and Research Federation (ORF).
During his speech at the event, Zarif said 430 India cities had organised spontaneous commemoration meetings after the killing of their top commander Qassem Soleimani earlier this month.
“US says Iran has proxies. But do we have proxies in India? US should understand our reach in other cities,” he said, adding Iran has its reach even on the streets of Mumbai.
On the shooting of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752, the Iranian foreign minister said “it was a mistake”, adding that mistakes happen when there is a crisis and the US is to be blamed for the crisis.
He said now that the US has eliminated the only force that was fighting the ISIS, also called Daesh, by killing Soleimani, there is a need to create a “new coalition” against the dreaded militia and the US should show it is against ISIS.
Zarif defended the resolution passed by the Iraqi parliament that sought removal of all foreign troops from Iraq. “US hit two bases in Iraq to carry out operations in Iraq against an Iraqi guest. It was an unprovoked attack inside Iraq’s territory,” he said.
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Zarif to meet Indian exporters in Mumbai
Zarif met Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday. He will be meeting his Indian counterpart Jaishankar Thursday before leaving for Mumbai to meet the business community there.
He will be addressing Indian exporters based in Mumbai under the aegis of the Federation of Indian Exports Organisations (FIEO).
Zarif said the US will be conducting a “genocide” if it also puts restrictions on the exports of food items and medicines to Iran.
India exports rice and pharmaceuticals products to Iran as they are not covered by US sanctions. However, for the first time ever, India has brought oil imports from Iran down to zero due to the threat of US sanctions.
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