Days after visiting Pakistan and meeting their Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir, Iran’s FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi has arrived in India on an official visit. His visit also comes a day after India carried out precision strikes on nine terror camps present in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
On his first visit to the country, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will co-chair the 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting. The high-level dialogue comes as both nations mark the 75th anniversary of the India-Iran Friendship Treaty. Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, welcomed the visiting dignitary and highlighted the significance of the occasion.
In a post on X, Jaiswal said, “Warm welcome to FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi, as he arrives in New Delhi for the India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting. An opportunity to review and enhance bilateral cooperation on the 75th Anniversary of the India-Iran Friendship Treaty.”
The MEA said in a statement, “H.E. Dr. Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will visit India from 07 – 08 May 2025 for co-chairing the 20th Joint Commission Meeting between India and Iran. This is Dr. Araghchi’s first visit to India since assuming office as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran in August 2024. The Joint Commission Meeting, being held on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the India-Iran Friendship Treaty, will review issues of mutual interest between the two countries and the way forward in strengthening bilateral relations.”
What’s On Agenda?
The 20th Joint Commission Meeting, being held on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the India-Iran Friendship Treaty, will review issues of mutual interest between the two countries and the way forward in strengthening bilateral relations, as per the release. During his visit, Araghchi will hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House on May 8. Later in the day, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Reading Between The Lines
The Embassy of Iran in India said that the Iranian Foreign Minister would visit India after a stop in Islamabad, where he would hold talks with Pakistani officials. Though not officially, but India and Iran are likely to discuss the evolving situation with Pakistan. Iran will push for de-escalation but India has maintained that if Pakistan retaliates, then India would go all guns blazing against Islamabad. It’s also likely that, despite its repeated rhetoric, Pakistan may have asked Iran to mediate between the two countries, fearing escalation.
However, there is much more to Araghchi’s visit to India. After the Pahalgam attack, when tensions flared up between India and Pakistan, Iran has offered to mediate for de-escalation. However, India has already rejected any third-party mediation. On April 25, the Iranian Foreign Minister had given a call for peace to prevail in the neighbourhood in a post on X. His call for peace came in the wake of the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which targeted tourists, killing 26 people.