Iranian foreign minister to meet Sushma Swaraj today with focus on nuclear deal amid standoff with US

The visit is also significant as tensions rise in West Asia due to Tehran-Washington showdown. The Iranian foreign ministry in a release said, "Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, will travel to the Indian capital of New Delhi..to hold talks with Indian officials."

Javad Zarif

New Delhi: Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, arrived in the New Delhi on Monday, and will be meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today. The Iranian foreign minister's visit to Indian comes at a time when Iran and the United States are at loggerheads with each other after the US ending waivers on import of oil from Iran. As per highly placed sources, the major focus of Zarif's meeting with Sushma will be to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Zarif is likely to request Swaraj not to reduce oil imports from his country, urging it to take a tough stance against the United States' refusal to give India an extension on sourcing crude from Iran. The visit is also significant as tensions rise in West Asia due to Tehran-Washington showdown. The Iranian foreign ministry in a release said, "Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, will travel to the Indian capital of New Delhi..to hold talks with Indian officials." During his Asian tour, the Iranian FM is also scheduled to visit other foreign capitals and brief about the deal, from which the US withdrew in 2018. Tehran is hopeful of drawing support from the European Union (EU) to save the deal now. Replying to a question, EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini on Monday said, "As long as Iran remains compliant, we remain committed to implementing the Nuclear Deal and our stand is that the IAEA remains the only body to verify on Iran's compliance." This is Zarif's second visit to India this year. He met Minister of State External Affairs Gen VK Singh in Doha at the ministerial meeting of Asian Cooperation Dialogue on May 1.