External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday told an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis that India does not view itself as a "dalaal" (broker), drawing a contrast with Pakistan, according to sources cited by NDTV.
A participant at the meeting said the minister emphasised that India would not act as a middleman or intermediary nation in the conflict.
The remarks come amid increasing diplomatic efforts by countries such as Pakistan and Turkey, which have been attempting to position themselves as mediators between the United States and Iran to ease tensions in the region.
The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by key political figures across party lines. Among those present were Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Representing the Congress were Mukul Wasnik and Tariq Anwar, while the Samajwadi Party was represented by Dharmendra Yadav and Javed Ali Khan. Other attendees included CPI(M) leader John Brittas, LJP's Arun Bharti, DMK's P. Wilson, and AAP's Sanjay Singh. JD(U) was represented by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh and the party's working president Sanjay Jha. The Trinamool Congress did not send a representative.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has reportedly offered to mediate between the US and Iran in a bid to bring an end to the ongoing conflict. US President Donald Trump also shared a post by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing willingness to help facilitate a resolution.
