S Jaishankar speaks to Iran FM Araghchi as West Asia tensions escalate

EAM Dr S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday received a telephone call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. The two leaders discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. We discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran.”  The conversation between the two foreign ministers came on a day India asked all its nationals residing in Iran to leave by available means.

The conversation comes at a time when New Delhi is closely monitoring developments in Iran and the wider West Asian region, which have raised diplomatic and security concerns for several countries, including India.

Iran has been witnessing massive anti-government protests in which over 2,500 people lost their lives.

There has been rising tensions in Iran and the region after US President Donald Trump indicated military action if Tehran continues its crackdown on the protesters. "If they hang them, you're going to see some things...We will take very strong action if they do such a thing," the US president told CBS News.

In a message to the protesters, Trump said on Tuesday that "help is on the way". The US president has already announced a 25 per cent tariff on countries having trade with Tehran.

The protests began late last month in Tehran after the Iranian currency rial plunged to record lows. The protests have since spread to all 31 provinces, evolving from an agitation against economic woes to a demand for political change.