Iran foreign minister to meet Sushma Swaraj today

New Delhi: Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif is to undertake a significant day-long visit to India on Monday wherein he will hold talks with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. The visit holds importance, given the recent developments on the US pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and India’s strategic interests on Chabahar port there which it is developing. Just earlier this month, while avoiding any criticism of the United States under President Trump which had walked out of the Iran nuclear deal, India—in a tight rope walk— had said Iran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy should be respected.

New Delhi had also advocated resolution of the issue through constructive dialogue. India is developing the Chabahar port in Iran and therefore has strategic interests in the Islamic country.

The Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was inked in 2015 that had then paved the way for 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 the five permanent member nations 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

Mr Obama — had pushed for the deal strongly three years ago. But with President Trump announcing the pull-out, the stage is set for re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran.