Tightrope walk for India as US quits Iran deal

New Delhi: Avoiding any criticism of the United States under President Donald Trump, who has taken his country out of the Iran nuclear deal, India — in a tightrope walk on Wednesday — said Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy should be respected. New Delhi pushed for a resolution of the issue through constructive dialogue. India is developing the Chabahar port in Iran and therefore has strategic interests in the Islamic nation. At the same time, it is also wary of annoying the US with which it has close strategic ties.

The Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in 2015 and had then paved the way for the lifting of US sanctions on Iran that had severely affected the Iranian economy. According to foreign media reports, Iran — which had in 2015 reached a pact with five permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, UK, Russia, France and China) and Germany — had then “agreed to significantly slash its stores of centrifuges, enriched uranium and heavy water, all key components for nuclear weapons”. This had enabled Iran to pursue its nuclear programme for peaceful purposes without any global opposition. The United States, under then President Barack Obama, had pushed for the deal strongly three years ago. But with President Trump announcing the pullout, the stage is set for reimposition of US sanctions on Iran.

In a statement in New Delhi, the external affairs ministry said: “India has always maintained that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy by respecting Iran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as also the international community’s strong interest in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. All parties should engage constructively to address and resolve issues that have arises with respect to the JCPOA.”

Reacting to these developments, Iran said it would “spearhead a diplomatic effort to examine whether the remaining JCPOA participants can ensure its full benefits for Iran”, adding that the “outcome” would determine the Iranian response.