India hears call to play more active role in de-escalating Mid-East conflict

Signs that it is looking to make a difference after calls for mediation by Iran and Lebanon

- Nirmala Ganapathy

India, which has long been able to preserve friendly ties with countries in the Middle East hostile to each other, has now been asked to play a mediating role, which may be tough for New Delhi.

Lebanon and Iran - through their respective envoys to India, Dr Rabie Narsh and Dr Iraj Elahi - have called on India to play a more active role in supporting a ceasefire in the Middle East, and to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to de-escalate the ongoing attacks.

At a talk in India on Oct 6, External Affairs Minister S.

Jaishankar said India is looking to make a difference, saying: "The entire world, including us, are worried about it, and we are trying to see where we can make a difference, and do what we can."

At another event at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank in Washington on Oct 2, Dr Jaishankar noted that "if there are things to be said and passed on and passed back (between Israel and Iran), I think those are all contributions that we can make and we do".

His remarks are being interpreted by analysts as budding efforts by New Delhi to play a more active role.

Dr Alvite Singh Ningthoujam, an assistant professor at Symbiosis International University, told The Straits Times:

"Dr Jaishankar's statement, I think, that also signals some sort of confidence India is gaining to reach out to warring factions. We haven't tried openly. We may be giving tacit advice."

He added that these may constitute "signals of some kind of mediation".