“This morning, I said to my counterpart in the (Indian) foreign ministry here… I requested India to come up with an initiative. India is a big, important country. If India comes up with an initiative, we will work on that. So this is the nature of accepting different initiatives.” When asked about India’s response, he said, “India has always supported peace in the region. That’s very important… So, if there is any initiative, we absolutely would welcome such an initiative… whatever role India plays, would be important.”

In March, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India can’t act as a “dalal nation” (broker) in global geopolitics, specifically regarding West Asia mediation. This remark, made at an all-party meeting, differentiated India’s foreign policy from Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the US and Iran. Gharibabadi, who is accompanying Iranian Foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi for the two-day BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting starting Thursday, appreciated India for the “balanced view”, and said, “India, as the chair, is showing impartiality, and that’s important.” He said Iran is in favour of a final declaration. “We want to have a successful meeting. It’s not good to signal this message to the world that BRICS has been divided… we’re in favour of having a declaration. But…, there is one neighboring country of Iran that is insisting to condemn Iran into final declaration. Iran has been aggressed. We have been attacked by the US and Israel, and now one neighbouring country of Iran is insisting to condemn Iran.”

The Iranian minister is referring to the fact that the 11-member BRICS grouping, which the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran are part of, has not been able to agree on a common language on the conflict. Iranians claim that UAE is insisting on condemning Iran. With consensus eluding the grouping, New Delhi had issued a Chair’s summary on April 24 stating that “members expressed deep concern on the recent conflict in the Middle East (West Asia) and offered views and assessments on the matter”.

In early March, The Indian Express reported that Tehran had reached out to New Delhi to take the lead in issuing a statement on behalf of the BRICS, currently chaired by India, condemning the US and Israeli strikes against Iran in the previous two weeks. This put Delhi in a diplomatic pickle given that it had not taken sides in the ongoing conflict. About the closure of Strait of Hormuz, Gharibabadi said, “We are working now on protocol and arrangements to see what services Iran and Oman are providing in the Strait of Hormuz… We are evaluating… It hasn’t been finalised… Yes, we have a temporary arrangement now…” However, he said India is a “friendly nation” and 11 vessels have been allowed to transit.-Agencies