IRAN-INDIA 2LST

The recent remarks were made by Iranian supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"Today the major duties of the elite of the Islamic
Ummah is to provide help to the Palestinian nation and the
besieged people of Gaza, to sympathise and provide assistance
to the nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Kashmir, to
engage in struggle and resistance against the aggressions of
the United States and the Zionist regime, to safeguard the
solidarity of Muslims....," he said.
He was addressing Hajj pilgrims in Tehran.
However, the sources refused to treat these remarks as
"major setback" to the overall relationship, saying that the
two countries have civilisational links and share a similarity
of views on many issues.
They also maintained that India attaches highest priority
to its projects with Iran and these remarks will not impact
the other facets of the relationship.
The sources said that whenever India has raised the issue
with Iran, New Delhi has been told that there was no change in
the official position of Tehran on Jammu and Kashmir that the
situation in the state was an internal matter of India.
They said India continues to monitor the developments in
the matter.
Earlier in October, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman
condemned Indian action against protesters in Jammu and
Kashmir who were provoked by clippings of alleged desecration
of the Koran in the US.
Spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast had said to counter such
protests could be "interpreted as supporting acts of
sacrilege." Later, he said it was "perfectly acceptable for
Muslims to react to the desecration of the Koran" and called
upon the Indian government to show "self-restraint".
The sources said while raising these remarks with Iran,
India has asked it to be "mindful" of its "core concerns". PTI