Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister. (Twitter photo)

NEW DELHI: “There are many routes by which Iran and India can cooperate in important fields especially energy and Chabahar. We know that there are pressures from outside but we count on the Indian government to make proper decisions in favour of the national interest of India,” said Abbas Araghchi , Iran’s deputy foreign minister after a day of discussions with Indian officials.

India, he said, had done it in the past — balancing its relations between the US and India. It can do it again. This time, Iranian sources said, it would be easier because the EU also wants to save the nuclear deal/JCPOA. So together everyone can find ways around the imminent sanctions.

Questioned about whether India had provided assurances, he said, “I have a very good sense that cooperation between the two countries would continue. Of course there are difficulties but we have to work hard to face those challenges and find solutions.” Iranian officials said they were told by European countries that India and EU would work together to save the deal. Indian officials were not ready to comment.

On Chabahar, Iran told India that with the port already starting to work, the operations would be turned over to an Indian entity in the near future. A statement by MEA at the end of the talks said, “Both sides reviewed and positively assessed the progress in implementation of decisions taken during the State visit of the President of Iran to India in February 2018, especially for enhancing connectivity and strengthening cooperation in trade and economic issues and in the promotion of people-to-people exchanges.” The Indian side was led by foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale.

While EU countries are looking for solutions around the US’departure from the JCPOA, Iran has made it clear that if it is forced to kill the deal, it could revisit its nuclear doctrine. The Iranian President recently raised the fact that the safety of the crucial Straits of Hormuz would not be guaranteed.

Sources said Iran had said, “if we are suffering, with nowhere to sell our oil to, do you think we will allow the Straits to be peaceful?” If this happens, global energy crisis could reach mammoth proportions. Iran has also refused to link the JCPOA with conversations on the regional security situation, including Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, or even their missile programme. Iran, they said, has told its interlocutors that Tehran would not consider negotiations on any other issue until after the JCPOA was sorted out.

However, they said, Tehran had convinced the Houthis in Yemen to hold their fire during the month of Ramzan. But the Europeans, who were brokering those negotiations, failed to get Saudi Arabia to agree.

The Iranian nuclear deal is “in the ICU”. Iranians believe India has an important role in trying to save it.

