TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks on Wednesday over pressing regional and international issues. 

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2020 in New Delhi.

Earlier in the day, Zarif also met Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. 

The meetings took place 12 days after the United States assassinated top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in an air raid and pushed the region closer to a direct military confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Addressing the Raisina forum, Zarif said U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo are celebrating the death of General Soleimani. 

He said 430 cities in India were watching millions of people in Iran were protesting the assassination of Qassemi.

The chief diplomat said the United States looks at the world from its own perspective rather than the perspective of the region.

“The killing of Qassem Soleimani shows ignorance and ignorance,” Zarif said, according to The Times of India.
Soleimani was the “single most effective force” against ISIS and that is why the U.S. “did not like” him.

The foreign minister said Iran fired missiles at the U.S. airbase in Iraq in “self-defense” in retaliation to the assassination of its top military commander.

The senior diplomat also vehemently dismissed claim by Trump that Soleimani was orchestrating attacks on U.S. embassies. 

Prior to his meeting with Modi, the top Iranian diplomat held separate meetings with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hamdollah Moheb. 

MJ/PA