India Offers Condolences After Khamenei Killing
Foreign Secretary Misri visits Iran embassy
New Delhi: India on Thursday broke its silence on the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with foreign secretary Vikram Misri visiting the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi and signing the condolence book in memory of the slain leader.
Misri also met Iranian ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali during the visit. “The foreign secretary on behalf of the Government of India signed the condolence book at the embassy of Iran today,” the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar also held a telephonic conversation with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss the ongoing military conflict in West Asia.
The developments came shortly after reports that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka, in which more than 80 Iranian sailors were killed while over 30 others were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy. According to reports, the warship had recently participated in the International Fleet Review hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam last month.
Speaking to reporters in the capital, the Iranian envoy accused the US of triggering the conflict by attacking Iran and ending ongoing negotiations.
“Iran demonstrated sincerity in talks. But the US started the war. The duration of the war is in Iran’s hands. Finishing and ending the war is in our hands,” Fathali said.
Responding to questions on alleged Iranian attacks on Arab Gulf countries, he denied the charge and said Iran had informed neighbouring countries that it would target only US military bases in the region. “We attacked only the US bases,” he said.
The envoy also accused the US and Israel of targeting an elementary girls’ school in Iran in which several students were killed. “This is terrible,” he said.
Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who is in New Delhi to attend the Raisina Dialogue conference, said instability in the Middle East had deep roots linked to Tehran.
“The Middle East has been unstable for decades, and many of the roots trace back to Tehran. The endgame is a Middle East that is not a threat to the rest of the world.” he said.
