Jaishankar discusses Iran, Hormuz, Lebanon with Israel’s Sa’ar

Israel’s Foreign Minister Sa’ar wrote on X: “A good conversation, as always, with my friend, India’s Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. We discussed Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and Lebanon.”

“I said that the firm American stance in the negotiations on conditions that would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons (no enrichment in Iran, removal of enriched material from Iran) is critical for the entire international community,” Israel’s Foreign Minister added.

This came in the backdrop of reports that the United States and Iran have traded proposals for the suspension of Iranian nuclear activities but remain far apart on the time span of any agreement, according to Iranian and US officials.

During the negotiations in Islamabad, The New York Times reported that the US asked Iran for a 20-year suspension of uranium enrichment. The Iranians, in a formal response sent on Monday, said they would agree to up to five years, according to two senior Iranian officials and one US official. Trump rejected Iran’s offer, according to a US official.

About the call with Jaishankar, Sa’ar said, “I also said that Iran’s harm to freedom of navigation and the global economy through economic terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz requires action that will ensure the freedom of navigation for all countries, including India and our friends in the Gulf.” This reference to the closure of Strait of Hormuz is significant for India since it depends on the Gulf for 60 per cent of its energy needs.

The call between the two foreign ministers came four days after the April 10 statement from MEA — where, in a move aimed at restoring the diplomatic balance between Israel and Iran, India had expressed “deep concern” over the large number of civilian casualties in Lebanon and underlined that “observing international law, and respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is essential”.

This was a significant statement from Delhi given that its position has been seen as favouring Tel Aviv ever since the Israeli offensive in Gaza in 2023 which later expanded to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah.

It was aimed at restoring the balance with Iran, the benefactor of the Lebanese government and Hezbollah over the last several decades.

India has high stakes in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz which is being tightly controlled by Iran – eight Indian vessels have transited the strait in the last six weeks.

Jaishankar also discussed the West Asia war with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. “Appreciated the exchange of views today with @SenatorWong of Australia on the West Asia conflict,” he posted.