‘Up to India to decide but…’: What US envoy said on Delhi's role in efforts to end Iran war

THe United States would back up India's involvement in efforts to terminate the state of war in due west Asia, American ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Tuesday. His remarks come after the collapse of peace talks between the US and Iran held in Pakistan’s Islamabad last week, which also raised concerns about whether the two-week ceasefire, which still has a week remaining, will hold.Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, where they discussed the situation in West Asia and the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz "open and secure". This was the third call between the two leaders this year, and the first since the recent talks between Iran and the US. Follow US-Iran war live updates here.US envoy on India’s involvement in efforts to end warReplying to a question on whether the US wanted India to help reduce tensions in West Asia, Gor said it is up to India to decide if it wishes to take part in talks to end the conflict.He also said the United States feels that “many other countries” can be part of this process, as mentioned in an earlier HT report. His remarks came after Pakistan hosted the first direct talks between Iran and the US in 47 years over the weekend, though the discussions did not lead to any result.ALSO READ | After Trump's America and Iran both block Strait of Hormuz, how will it impact India? Explained“Right now, there’s only one country that is holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage. So, of course, we welcome all parties to encourage that to reopen. These are international waters. No country should be able to…blockade the whole world,” he said.Gor told news agency PTI: “That's a question for the Indian government. But from our side, the president has offered involvement around the world, as you have seen engagement happen.”When asked if the US had asked India for help in reopening the route, he said: “I don’t want to say we sought help, but it was more of an update call.”Gor on ‘big-ticket’ deals between India, USSpeaking about ties between the two countries, Gor said several “big ticket items” were discussed, including an energy deal. These are likely to be finalised ahead of US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s visit to India in May. He added that the US is also looking ahead to a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting during the visit.Answering a question on whether the pending trade deal was part of the Modi-Trump call, Gor said the talks “focused on several big ticket items” that may be announced, “over the next few days or next few weeks”.India and the US are working to repair their relationship after tensions last year, when Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% duty linked to India’s purchase of Russian energy. These tariffs were later reduced after Trump and Modi said in February that there had been progress towards a bilateral trade agreement.