Trump says Iranian leader Soleimani behind terror plots in India, MEA stays silent

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday remained silent on US president Donald Trump’s statement regarding Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Trump reportedly said that Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike, was responsible for terrorist attacks in a large swath of territories stretching from New Delhi to London.

"The recent attacks on US targets in Iraq, including rocket strikes that killed an American and injured four American servicemen very badly, as well as a violent assault on our embassy in Baghdad, were carried out at the direction of Soleimani," Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

"Soleimani made the death of innocent people his sick passion, contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London. Today we remember and honour the victims of Soleimani''s many atrocities and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over," Trump said.

New Delhi, which called for restraint given the escalating tensions in the Gulf region on Friday following Soleimani’s death, has so far not commented on Trump’s reported remarks.

India and the US have differing views on Iran with Washington viewing the Shia majority nation as supporting terrorist and destabilising activities in the Middle East including Iraq and Yemen. New Delhi on its part views Iran as a regional partner in its extended neighbourhood.