Iran will welcome any peace initiative by India to de-escalate tensions with US: Iranian Ambassador

Iran's Ambassador to India Ali Chegeni has said that Iran will welcome any peace initiative by India to de-escalate tensions with the US following the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.

Talking to media in New Delhi, the Iranian envoy asserted that his country wants peace, not war. He said, India usually plays a very good role in maintaining peace in the world and India belongs to this region.

Mr Chegeni said, Iran will welcome any Indian initiative or any project that can help peace and prosperity in the world.

Saying that India is a good friend of Iran, Mr Chegeni said, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif spoke to External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar on Sunday and they had a very good discussion.

The Iranian Envoy said, Iran and India can jointly work for peace in the



world.

Replying to a query on Chabahar port, Mr Chegeni said, the port is a symbol of very good friendship between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe and whole Persian Gulf. He said, Chabahar will go on and no one should worry about it.

The Iranian Envoy also expressed hope that there would be no further escalation in hostilities between Iran and the US. 

India had reached out to several stakeholders in the region over the security situation prevailing in West Asia.

Jaishankar had separately spoken to Mr Zarif, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf Alawi, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well his Jordanian and Qatari counterparts Ayman Safadi and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on the tense situation in the region.