Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said “India had tried” to mediate between the US and Iran and indicated Delhi remained open to playing a larger role in peace efforts amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia that has stretched for over 50 days.
“India tried from its side…. But everything has a moment. It is possible that tomorrow, the time may come when India plays its role in this and achieves success as well. This possibility cannot be ruled out. The Prime Minister has appealed to both sides to end the war. Our Prime Minister has a very balanced approach to diplomatic matters,” Rajnath said in Hindi while addressing the Indian diaspora at an event in Berlin.
The defence minister, who is on a three-day visit to Germany, was responding to a specific question from the audience on whether India has any role to play in initiating peace amid the ongoing crisis.
His remarks are significant, considering Pakistan has emerged as the key mediator between the US and Iran, securing a ceasefire and hosting peace talks. Several Indian commentators have pointed out that Delhi lost a chance to mediate the talks, and it is being viewed as a diplomatic win for Pakistan as it stepped up its efforts to position itself as an intermediary in the conflict.
Last month, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, at an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis, said India cannot act as a “dalal nation (broker)” in global geopolitics after the Opposition flagged Pakistan’s role in mediating talks between the US and Iran.
Hormuz concern
Earlier in the day in Germany, Rajnath said disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz were not distant events but “have direct implications for India’s security and economic stability”.
“For a developing country like India, which relies on the West Asian region for a significant share of its energy requirements, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are not distant events. They are stark realities with direct implications for our security and economic stability,” he said while addressing the German parliamentary standing
committee on defence and security.
Iran on Wednesday fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the ongoing threat to global energy supplies and complicating efforts to bring the US and Iran together for talks to end the war. The attacks, which Iranian media said were carried out by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, came after President Donald Trump said the US would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran, due to expire on Wednesday.
Rajnath also held delegation-level talks with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation between the two nations.