‘It is possible’: Rajnath Singh on India’s role in US-Iran mediation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that “it is possible” India could mediate between the United States and Iran.

“Everything has a moment. It is possible that there might come a tomorrow when India may mediate and be successful as well. The Prime Minister has appealed to both sides to end the war. Our prime minister has a very balanced approach to diplomatic matters,” Rajnath said in Hindi at an event in Berlin.

Rajnath went on to cite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s calls for a peaceful end to the war in Europe in meetings with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and US President Donald Trump, to underline that India has consistently worked to encourage the resolution of conflicts.

At present, Pakistan is leading mediation efforts between the United States and Iran and is working to convert the ceasefire it brokered into a permanent peace agreement. India does not have any role in the peace process, in which Turkey and Egypt also have supporting roles.

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The statement has come at a time when the status of the Pakistan‑brokered US–Iran ceasefire is in doubt. While Trump has unilaterally extended the ceasefire until Iran submits its proposal, Iran has rejected any ceasefire and accused the United States of buying time to mount an attack.

Since the weekend, Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has been prepared to host American and Iranian delegations for talks, but the discussions have been delayed. It appears that the absence of a response from Iran is the reason for the delay.

Axios has reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the civilian government’s negotiators are at odds over the direction of the war and the negotiations. The report said Trump and Pakistani mediators were awaiting a reply directly from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to break the deadlock between the two Iranian factions and allow the submission of a formal proposal. The report the reply is expected to come on Wednesday.