Jaishankar’s Tehran visit significant for timing on Afghanistan

The visit of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday marks a milestone in recent attempts by both sides to reset the ties that have been under strain for several reasons, including India cancelling oil imports due to the U.S. sanctions, progress in Chabahar, and Iranian comments on Kashmir over the past few years. Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari and then former Petroleum Minister Nitin Gadkari led the Indian participation both times former Iranian President Rouhani was sworn in, but the timing of Mr. Jaishankar’s visit is of particular note. That the EAM’s travels to Tehran book-ended a visit to Delhi by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken indicates India will continue to walk its tight-rope between its traditional ties with Iran and the growing strategic partnership with Washington. We have common interests in the region, which cannot be a subset of other relations, even though those relations are important too,” said former Ambassador Srivastava, when asked if India’s ties with the U.S. and Israel would in any way be affected by the visit, and listed history, culture, energy security and connectivity as areas that bind India-Iran ties.