Sushma Swaraj visits Iran in view of the tension with Pakistan

Tehran/New Delhi: The unexpected Iran visit of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is on a visit to Bulgaria, Spain and Morocco, has created a stir in Pakistan.

Forty soldiers were killed in the suicide terror attack, carried out by a Pakistan sponsored terrorist organisation in Jammu-Kashmir. A few hours before this attack there was an attack carried out, in the Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran, near the Iran-Pakistan border. Twenty-seven soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had been killed in the attack. Iran had accused that a Pakistani terrorist organisation was behind the attack. It also warned that if Pakistan did not act against this organisation, Iran will invade Pakistan and take action.

Against this background, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, landed in the Iranian capital of Tehran, on the way to Bulgaria. The sudden visit and discussions with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister have become significant. As per analysts, the visit of Foreign Minister Swaraj indicates a big joint action by India and Iran.

Foreign Minister Swaraj’s Iran visit lasted only a few hours. During the visit Foreign Minister Swaraj and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held discussions. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Araghchi tweeted, ‘India and Iran are facing terrorism. Enough is enough. India and Iran will be working jointly, to finish terrorism from this region’.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister did not name Pakistan, but he was pointing at Pakistan. It is clear that the India-Iran cooperation will be against Pakistan.

Iran, like India, is facing Pakistan sponsored terrorism and the tension on the Iran-Pakistan border has increased. Former Pakistani military chief Rahil Shariff had consented to lead the front formed by the Arab countries against Iran. Following that the relations between Pakistan and Iran deteriorated further.

Iran has consistently demanded action against the terrorists, intruding into Iran and hiding in Pakistan. A few months ago, Iran too, had threatened Pakistan of a surgical strike. There also is tension on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. As per the Pakistani analysts, the tension on all the three borders and the cooperation between India, Iran and Afghanistan is a cause of concern for Pakistan.