Published 14:39 IST, January 8th 2020
'India must walk diplomatic tightrope,' says Major Gaurav Arya as Iran seeks US mediation
Major Arya has reacted Iran's envoy to India Ali Chegeni's statement about Iran welcoming any Indian peace initiative for de-escalating tensions with the US
With Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei issuing a statement on Wednesday after Iran claimed of killing 80 American army soldiers in a missile attack in Iraq, Major Gaurav Arya called the news of 80 US soldiers being killed to be a figment of Iran's imagination.
While talking about Iran's claims he said, "The news of 80 American soldiers being killed is a figment of Iran's imagination. Nothing like that would have happened because there are bunkers everywhere. The campus also has Canadian soldiers and soldiers from other western countries, and they (the western countries) have said that nothing like that has happened."
Adding further Major Gaurav Arya also stated that the claim becomes questionable because it is coming from the highly controlled Iranian state media which always toes the Iranian state line.
Major Gaurav Arya on Iranian envoy's statement
Reacting to Iranian envoy to India, Ali Chegeni's statement about Iran welcoming any Indian peace initiative for de-escalating tensions with the US, Major Arya said, "For India, it is a very precarious situation. It will have to walk on the diplomatic tight rope. India has investments in Iran and it has strong relations with the USA. We cannot afford to choose sides in this conflict."
Adding further, he said, "India is one of the few countries that share a good relationship with both the US and Iran. If Iran has asked India to mediate between the two countries for peace, then it is not thinking of revenge."
'Iran is doing it just for the optics'- Maj. Arya
As oil prices continue to surge amid the accelerating tension, Major Gaurav Arya informed that oil prices will continue to rise for the countries that support or do not support both Iran and the US.
Adding that Iran is just doing this for the optics and how the missile attacks mean nothing to the US, Gaurav Arya said, "The US is not retaliating to these missile attacks because it knows that they mean nothing."
Updated 14:40 IST, January 8th 2020