Iran says diplomacy to help end Gulf tension

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 15

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif left room for diplomacy to help cool down US-Iran tensions following the killing of a serving Iranian military general Qasim Soleimani. “We hope diplomacy prevails. If we don't have diplomacy, I'll lose my job! We are using our official channel with Swiss for the US. Iran is interested in diplomacy but not interested in negotiating with the US,” the minister said while speaking at Raisina Dialogue here on Wednesday.

Belonging to the moderate faction in Iranian politics, Zarif spoke of bringing back hope to the region and, like India, harnessing its "very capable Diaspora" for nation-building. "Despair and violence will be destabilising. We are ready to lower military expenditure," he offered.

Accusing the US of being narrow-minded, Zarif said Gen Soleimani was assassinated because of US ignorance and arrogance. “The US killed an Iraqi guest on Iraqi soil who happened to be our military commander. Earlier, there was a modicum of justification for one's actions. But with Trump, he's talking in violation of international law," he said while regretting that "nobody is telling Trump that attacking cultural sites is a war-crime.”

The Iranian Foreign Minister probably got the numbers wrong when he said 430 Indian cities commemorated Soleimani's killing but he registered his point by observing that such support in US eyes would mean that Iran has proxies in India.