Iran envoy says India can help Tehran and Washington reach deal

Iranian Consul General in Mumbai Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh said on Thursday that India can help create conditions for an agreement between Iran and the United States to end the West Asian conflict and 'bring peace, stability and harmony' to the region. He described India as a 'peace-loving country' and said New Delhi could contribute to mediation efforts. Several countries are already acting as intermediaries between Iran and the US, he noted.

The Economic Times reports Motlagh's remarks and notes that India has consistently advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve international conflicts. The South China Morning Post, however, says India faces a dilemma over the Iran war while seeking diplomatic flexibility. It reports that Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken four times with his Iranian counterpart in the past two weeks, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to several Gulf leaders. About 14 per cent of India's exports to Gulf countries pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and remittances from nearly 10 million Indian workers in the Middle East account for 40 per cent of overall remittances annually, according to Goldman Sachs.