‘We understand, but our expectation is more’: Iranian diplomat on India’s stand

NEW new delhi: persia expects bharat to excoriate “ aggressiveness by Israel” to uphold the principle of sovereignty of countries and international law and to prevent similar actions in other parts of the world, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Friday.Against the backdrop of reports that the US is making an outreach to Pakistan for support for possible American strikes on Iran, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy, told reporters that Pakistan should stand with Iran in the face of Israel’s aggression.“We believe every country, including India, should condemn this aggression, not because of Iran or because of this conflict, but because it will open the way for other countries who [want] to attack a neighbour on some baseless allegations,” Hosseini said. “If you don’t condemn it, you are giving them an incentive.” Also Read: Iran eases airspace restrictions for 3 Indian charter flightsIndia’s actions should be in keeping with its role as the voice of the Global South at key forums such as the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). “Our expectation is this voice [will take this issue] not as a matter of bilateral relations with Iran and Israel, but to condemn this aggression, so that international law is respected and everybody knows that if there is any aggression, there will be punishment,” Hosseini said.India has sought to take a balanced position on the Iran-Israel conflict because of its close relations with both countries. The Indian government has urged both sides to return to dialogue and diplomacy and insisted a solution cannot be found on the battlefield. India also disassociated itself from a recent SCO statement that condemned Israel’s military strikes on Iran. Also Read: The prospect of a wider war | HT EditorialAsked if Iran is disappointed with India’s stance, Hosseini replied: “No, we can say that it is not a matter of disappointment, that we understand. But our expectation is more.” Hosseini said Iran appreciated India’s stance of having good relations with Iran and Israel, especially in the context of the SCO statement. “We have told them it isn’t a matter of the Iran-Israel conflict, it’s a matter of aggression against a sovereign country, it’s a matter of blatant violation of international law, which should be condemned no matter who prepared this plan,” he said.He responded to questions about the US seeking Pakistan’s support for possible American strikes on Iran, especially after a meeting this week between US President Donald Trump and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, by saying that he hoped Islamabad will stand with Tehran. “I hope Pakistan won’t go for that and will stand with Iran against Israeli aggression,” he said.“We are in contact with Pakistani officials, they know our stance and they understand us well,” Hosseini said. “And we hope the decision which is going to be made at the end will be to stand with Iran, to stand with the truth and condemn the aggressors [and] not to give some incentive to the aggressors.”The US, Hosseini said, is engaged in a “psychological war” against Iran, which is prepared for all scenarios. “It is a conflict between Iran and Israel, and it’s better for a third party not to enter it. If it enters, it would definitely become more complicated and it will have very bad consequences for that third party,” he said.