Iran considers India’s ties with Israel to be “unfortunate,” Tehran’s foreign minister has said.
Abbas Araghchi told an Indian television channel on Wednesday that Tehran does not find it appropriate to deal with a “genocidal regime,” while responding to a question on how India balances its ties with Israel and Iran.
“Israel is the one who has destroyed the whole of Gaza. 70,000 people have been killed and this is not a claim this is a fact. It is a genocide,” he told India Today. “Of course it is up to our friends in India to decide for themselves.”
His comments come during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel.
“I hope that while Prime Minister Modi is there, he can also address the question of Palestinians and their right to self-determination,” Araghchi said.
Modi arrived on a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday amid protests over allegations of genocide in Gaza following the war that began on October 7, 2023.
The Indian leader hailed his country’s ties with Israel in a speech to its parliament on Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is keen to bring India into a proposed ‘Hexagon of Alliances’ targeting what he terms as radical adversaries.
India has enjoyed warm ties with many Persian Gulf nations, including Iran, but has traditionally had lukewarm links with Israel. Modi reset ties with Israel during his first visit in 2017, upgrading it into a strategic partnership.
Iran’s relations with India remain strong despite a host of geopolitical challenges, a senior official told RT India in January.
The Modi government has delinked India’s ties with Palestine, Arab nations, and its relations with Israel.
Modi’s political opponents in India are also upset over the violence in Gaza in the backdrop of his trip to Israel.