External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday said that India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was “targeted and measured,” and warned that any military attack on the country would be met with a “very, very firm response.”
Speaking at the 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi, Jaishankar highlighted the retaliatory action carried out by the Indian Armed Forces under Operation Sindoor on May 7.
In his opening remarks, Jaishankar welcomed Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and highlighted the longstanding friendship between the two nations. He noted that the year marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, emphasizing the deep-rooted cooperation and mutual respect that have characterized their partnership.
“Excellency, your visit comes at a time when we are responding to a particularly barbaric terrorist attack on April 22 in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This attack compelled us to respond on May 7 by targeting cross-border terrorist infrastructure”, Jaishankar said.
“Our response was targeted and measured. It is not our intention to escalate the situation. However, if there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that they will be met with a very, very firm response. As a neighbor and close partner, it is important that you have a clear understanding of the situation,” he added.
Lauding bilateral ties between India and Iran, Jaishankar said that cooperation between the two nations has progressed in many areas in recent years.
“It’s a great pleasure to welcome you and your delegation to India and to co-chair the 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting with you today. In recent years, our cooperation has progressed in many aspects. There are also issues that we need to address. Prime Minister Modi and President Pezeshkian met in Kazan in October 2024 and gave us guidance on how to further develop our ties”, the foreign minister said.
“They also had a phone conversation on April 26. Excellency, this year marks the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. It is a reminder of the strength of our cooperation and the deep friendship between our countries. I am confident we will commemorate this anniversary appropriately,” the minister added.
During the meeting, Seyed Abbas Araghchi emphasized the “warm and friendly relations” shared by India and Iran.
Araghchi said, “On our bilateral relations, I can only echo what your Excellency has said. Iran-India relations go back a long way. We have always enjoyed very friendly and warm ties based on mutual respect and mutual interest, and that tradition continues today.”
“Our economic cooperation is good, though not as strong as we had hoped, due to the sanctions, as you know. We hope to overcome these challenges in the future,” he added.
ANI
from National https://ift.tt/7PYH4Rs