India's Role In Truce? Iran Says '3 Times Or More...'

Amid rising tensions during the US-Iran conflict, India also quietly played a behind-the-scenes diplomatic role in helping achieve the ceasefire. Dr Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, has now revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held multiple “successful” conversations with Iran’s leadership, alongside sustained engagement between the foreign ministers of both countries. "Maybe three times or more, PM Modi had a successful conversation with our president. It was very good. Several times, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of India had very successful conversations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran. Our brothers and sisters in India, I cannot describe them. Whenever I remember them, I cry.

They are excellent. I cannot find the word to express the value of these good people... I would like to congratulate all our brothers and sisters in India for having such beautiful people. They are extraordinary people," he told ANI.

US, Israel, Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire

The revelation comes after US President Donald Trump announced a temporary truce with Iran. Trump said he was holding off on his threatened attacks on Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian targets, subject to Tehran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is shipped during peacetime. He also said Iran has proposed a "workable" 10-point peace plan that could help end the war launched by the US and Israel in February.Shortly after, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it had accepted a two-week ceasefire and that it would negotiate with the US in Islamabad beginning Friday.Iran's demands for ending the war include control of the strait, the withdrawal of US combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions and the release of its frozen assets. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed for the next two weeks under Iranian military management.Also Read: From Fire & Fury To Full Stop: Trump's 24-Hour Iran U-Turn Israel, on the other hand, has thrown its weight behind the truce, while mentioning that Lebanon is off the table."Israel supports President Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region," Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement. "Israel also supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran's Arab neighbors and the world."In the same breath, it made it clear that the two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon."The United States has told Israel that it is committed to achieving these goals, shares by the US, Israel and Israel's regional allies, in the upcoming negotiations. The two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon," the statement read.