Iran’s Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is on a three-day visit to India.
Iranian Foreign minister is on a three-day visit to India to hold talks on regional issues amid escalating tensions with the US. India and Iran have maintained strong economic and strategic ties steadily over the years. India had been importing much of its oil from Iran before the US put global sanctions to push the Islamic Republic towards economic isolation.
India is conducting the fifth edition of the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, a three-day conference to convene with the former world leaders and representatives on global issues. Iranian Foreign Minister is expected to join this conference which will be inaugurated by Indian PM Narendra Modi. Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is also scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar and Maharashtra chief minister during the visit.
The visit comes at a time when the US-Iran standoff is at its peak. After the US airstrike that killed Iranian General Solemani and Iran’s airstrike on US settlements in Iraq in retaliation, India had urged both sides to maintain regional stability. India has vested interest in Iran as it recently undertook the development of the Chabahar Port in Tehran.
The recently held talks of the Iranian delegation with Qatari Emir and now the visit to New Delhi are all part of Tehran’s strategy to exert its influence in the Middle East.
