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Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday expressed optimism that the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran would eventually be resolved through diplomacy, saying that "all countries, minus Israel," have no appetite for a prolonged conflict and that a "final settlement" would ultimately be reached.
Khurshid's remarks come days after US President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire agreement with Iran was "over" for him, declaring that he no longer wishes to engage in diplomatic dealings with Tehran. Speaking with ANI, Khurshid said it was too early to predict Trump's next course of action but argued that there was little international support for an extended war. "It's too early to predict what President Trump can do. But I think the sense of all these countries, minus Israel, is that there is no appetite for a prolonged war. That even in the United States of America, the core group that supports President Trump is not really willing to see this thing go further," he said. Highlighting the economic impact of the conflict, particularly due to the disruption of maritime movement through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Khurshid said countries, including India, had already suffered due to disruptions in energy supplies and rising prices. "The world has lost so much. We in India and Asian countries have lost so much in terms of rising prices and paucity of availability of fuel and so on," he said. The former Union Minister expressed confidence that while sporadic incidents could continue, the broader framework for a diplomatic resolution remained intact. "So I think that there will be a little spark here and a little spark there. But I believe that, finally, things will settle down. I think the broad parameters of agreement are still in place. And I would imagine that this is a passing phase and the final settlement will happen. It may take a little time, but the final settlement will happen," Khurshid added. Responding to a question on India's role amid the regional tensions, Khurshid said New Delhi should take a more proactive diplomatic position instead of remaining a passive observer. "India should be up front. India is missing. We are only at the receiving end. We only put our hands up and say, 'This is not good for us; this is not good for us.' But then where is India?" he asked. Khurshid said India has traditionally enjoyed credibility on the global stage and should use its relationships with both the United States and Iran to advocate peace. "India has always had a very respectable voice in the world. But where is India if one country that is involved is calling itself a civilisational friend of India and another country where the President himself says that the Prime Minister of India is my very close friend, and India has no voice? India doesn't say that we need, for yourself and for us, we need peace in the area? India has nothing to say," he said. He further said that while some observers may feel India has leaned towards one side, he did not encounter any such complaints during his recent visit to Iran, where he attended the funeral ceremony of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "To the extent that anybody can complain, people could complain that we have sort of tilted towards one side rather than being equitable with both sides. But that is only when someone complains. I told you I didn't even hear complaints from the Iranian side, and that's quite remarkable. Their fortitude and their generosity are quite remarkable, and I say so because I saw it, and therefore it is only fair that I should say so," Khurshid said. The senior Congress leader's remarks come after Trump on Wednesday said that the ceasefire agreement with Iran was "over" for him, declaring that he no longer wishes to engage in diplomatic dealings with Tehran. Addressing journalists at the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump categorically stated that the peace process was over. "To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum... They're led by sick people... I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate - they're good people, but they have to come back to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them," Trump said. Last month, US and Iran agreed to a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the hostilities in the region and opening a 60-day dialogue window for technical talks, including discussions over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme. (ANI)
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