Iran on Saturday raised objections over comments made by former army officer and television personality Gaurav Arya against Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
Gaurav Arya made the comments while criticising Araghchi for visiting Pakistan before coming to India amid tensions between the two neighbours in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people died.
“Respect for guests has a long-standing tradition in Iranian culture,” Iran's Embassy in New Delhi wrote on X while sharing Arya's video. "We Iranians consider our guests to be "beloved by God. How about you?"
After the embassy's objection, the Indian Embassy in Iran clarified that Gaurav Arya is a private citizen and that his statement has no connection with India's official position.
The Indian Embassy in Iran also condemned Arya's remarks against the Iranian foreign minister, saying that it considers the “disrespectful tone” used in the video to be “inappropriate”.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian Embassy in Iran also condemned Arya's remarks against the Iranian foreign minister, saying that it considers the “disrespectful tone” used in the video to be “inappropriate”.
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“The Embassy of India in Iran would like to clarify that the individual in this video is a private Indian citizen,” the Embassy of India in Iran wrote on X.
“His statements have no connection with the official position of India, and the Government of India considers the disrespectful tone used in the video to be inappropriate.”
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Last week, Araghchi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan on May 5 for meetings with the country’s top leadership as tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi escalated over the Pahalgam terror attack.
He then returned to Tehran before travelling to India to co-chair a meeting of the bilateral Joint Commission. It was Araghchi’s first visit to India since assuming office as the minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran in August 2024.
Last month, Araghchi had also offered to “forge greater understanding” between New Delhi and Islamabad.