08-05-2025
Jaishankar tells Iranian Min that India does ‘not intend to escalate' tensions with Pak, warns of ‘firm response' if…
India-Pakistan Conflict: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday. During the meet, EAM Jaishankar told his Iranian counterpart that India does not intend to escalate tension with Pakistan. However, Jaishankar cautioned that Delhi would not sit back if it was faced a military attack.
'It is not our intention to escalate the situation. However, if there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that it will be met with a very very firm response,' Jaishankar told Aragachi.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi is visiting India to co-chair the 20th Joint Commission Meeting between India and Iran. It is the Iranian foreign minister's first visit to India since assuming office in August 2024.
Jaishankar met Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is visiting New Delhi days after visiting Pakistan, as Tehran seeks to mediate between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
'You are visiting India at a time when we are responding to a particularly barbaric terrorist attack on 22nd April in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. This attack compelled us to respond on 7th May by striking at the cross-border terrorist infrastructure. Our response was targeted and measured', Jaishankar said in justifying Operation Sindoor.
Araghchi, in a statement on his arrival in India, said that it was "natural that we want to reduce tensions" between India and Pakistan.
"We hope that the parties will exercise restraint to avoid an escalation of tensions in the region," Araghchi said.
The Iranian foreign minister landed in New Delhi around mid-night last night on a scheduled visit amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to retaliate after India launched Operation Sindoor on 9 targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on Wednesday morning.
The Operation was launched in retaliation to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
Pkaistan had been violating ceasefire along LoC for days before the Operation Sindoor was launched. In the post-op scenario, Pakistan army escalated artilerry shelling in the border village of Poonch killing at least 15 people.
