NEW DELHI, 26 April 2006 — Confrontation or use of force against Iran could raise tensions in the region and must be avoided at all costs, cautioned India yesterday.
“Confrontation or the threat or use of force can only exacerbate tensions in a region which is of vital importance to India and must, therefore, be avoided at all costs,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said. Sarna said India valued its traditionally close and friendly relations with Tehran and reiterated that issues relating to Iran’s nuclear program should be resolved through dialogue. “Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but this must be consistent with its international commitments and obligations,” he said.
India, along with other countries friendly to Iran, was continuing to make efforts to reach an amicable resolution of the outstanding issues through “patient” dialogue, Sarna added.
New Delhi’s reaction came ahead of a Friday deadline set by the UN Security Council for Iran to suspend all uranium-enrichment activities amid worries by the United States and Europe that Tehran is using its nuclear program to develop weapons.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that Iran would not give in to the Friday deadline and would continue its nuclear activities despite the possibility of sanctions and even military strikes against the country’s nuclear sites.
