While U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing EU countries to help clear the Strait of Hormuz, India has avoided taking any sides. Jaishankar maintains regular contact with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, including a phone call late last week. Another conversation is expected to take place in coming days.
Asked what sort of message he was relaying to Tehran, Jaishankar cited “the need to de-escalate,” “concern at the widening of the conflict,” the “energy implications for us,” as well as concern for the roughly 10,000 Indians residing in Iran and millions living across the wider region.
“Our hope is that there is a decision made that heads toward an end to the conflict, certainly toward de-escalation, and then an end to the conflict,” he said, adding: “We only see a downside to this conflict.”
As for India’s relationship with the United States, Jaishankar — who met with his counterpart, Marco Rubio, on Feb. 3 — steered clear of critical comments on Washington. Asked if he welcomed Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on exports of Russian energy firms Lukoil and Rosneft, he sidestepped, saying: “If you want the global economy to grow, if you want to see stability, predictability in the markets, then let the markets be the focus.”
The U.S. and India are negotiating their own trade deal, which has stalled following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court against Trump’s tariff policy. Asked if the delay had to do with the U.S. campaign against Iran, he added: “Well, I want to be very clear: what’s happening in the Middle East has nothing to do with that.”