Amid rising tensions with Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday stated that India has no desire to escalate the current situation. However, he issued a stern warning that any military attack from Pakistan would trigger a “very, very firm response”.
India Conducted Strikes After Pahalgam Terror Attack
During his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Jaishankar said India’s military response was a direct consequence of the “particularly barbaric” terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian nationals.
“This attack compelled us to respond on May 7 by striking at cross-border terrorist infrastructure. Our response was targeted and measured,” Jaishankar said in his televised opening remarks.
India Carries Out ‘Operation Sindoor’
India launched a military operation, codenamed Operation Sindoor, in the early hours of May 7. The operation targeted terror camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) at nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including in Punjab province. This marked the first time since the 1971 war that Indian forces targeted Pakistan’s most populous region.
Jaishankar: “No Intention to Escalate”
While reaffirming India’s position, Jaishankar said: “It is not our intention to escalate this situation. However, if there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that it will be met with a very, very firm response.”
Pakistan Vows to Respond
In response to India’s military strikes, the Pakistani military claimed that 26 people were killed and 46 others injured. The Pakistan government stated it would respond “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing”.
Iran’s Diplomatic Role and Joint Commission Talks
Before arriving in India, Araghchi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan for high-level meetings. He later returned to Tehran before continuing to India, where he co-chaired a scheduled meeting of the India-Iran Joint Commission focused on trade and economic cooperation.
Following the Pahalgam attack, Araghchi had offered to mediate between India and Pakistan, aiming to reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
India-Iran Ties Mark 75 Years
During the bilateral meeting, Jaishankar highlighted the broader cooperation between India and Iran, stating that “India-Iran cooperation has progressed in many aspects” and that both nations were committed to addressing challenges together.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had met in Russia in October 2024 and later spoke over the phone on April 26 to discuss further developments in the relationship.
Marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Jaishankar said: “It is a reminder of the closeness of our collaboration and the deep friendship between us. I am sure that we will mark the anniversary appropriately.”
