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Informist, Friday, May 15, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi Friday said no military solution exists to "anything related to Iran". He said his country has been the victim of an act of unprovoked aggression by the US and Israel. He also said Tehran is interested in maintaining good relations and doing energy business with India and welcomed any "constructive role" by New Delhi to ensure regional peace and stability.

 

"They have tested us time and again, we never bow to any pressure or threat," Araghchi told a press conference here. "For more than 40 years, my country and its people have been the target of brutal sanctions imposed by the US against us. But it didn't change our determination, it didn't change our policies."

 

Araghchi was in New Delhi to attend the BRICS foreign ministers' conference. Thursday, addressing the foreign ministers, he said Iran's resistance against the US bullying is not an unfamiliar battle as many other countries "encounter slight variations of same repugnant coercion". The meet coincided with US President Donald Trump's visit to China, where Trump reportedly asked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to lean on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and give up its nuclear programme.

 

Asked why Iran was unwilling to allow unrestricted movement of Indian ships in the Persian Gulf, Araghchi said, "India has been a customer of Iranian oil in the past and it has been stopped by India because of the US sanctions, illegal unilateral sanctions." India was the second largest buyer of Iranian crude oil after China until May 2019, when it stopped the imports on the expiry of the US sanctions waiver.

 

"We are ready to sell our oil to India," the foreign minister said. "Of course, we do understand their considerations and we do understand the consequences of the sanctions which are imposed by the US," he added. India's crude oil and gas procurements have been hit by the conflict as the country sourced a major portion of its energy needs from the Persian Gulf region.

 

Later, Araghchi posted on social media that during his discussion with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on regional developments, he "clarified that Iran will always carry out historical duty as protector of security in Hormuz".

 

"Iran is a reliable partner of all friendly nations, who can rely on safety of commerce," Araghchi wrote.

 

The foreign minister said it was for India to decide on its relations with other countries, and that all Tehran is interested in is good relations with New Delhi. Hours earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, condemned attacks on that country by Iran during the war.

 

"We are determined to continue our friendly and good relations with India for the benefit of both sides," Araghchi said. "As you know, my country has been the victim of an act of unprovoked aggression by the US and Israeli regime... Right in the middle of negotiations, they decided to attack us."

 

The foreign minister added that his country "appreciates all those countries who condemned this attack". Notably, India was not forthcoming in its condemnation of the US-Israeli aerial attacks on Tehran that killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior leaders on Feb. 28.

 

The Narendra Modi government's studied silence had drawn criticism from opposition leaders and geopolitical observers, who were sceptical about the outcome of India being seen openly taking sides in the regional conflict. The war has been paused since Apr. 8 following mediation by Pakistan, reportedly backed by China.  End

 

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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