Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives in Iran to discuss bilateral defence ties
Tehran, Sep 5 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday arrived in Tehran where he will meet his Iranian counterpart and discuss bilateral defence ties, a day after he urged the Persian Gulf countries to resolve their differences through dialogue based on mutual respect.
Singh arrived in Tehran from Moscow after concluding his three-day visit to Russia where he attended a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers. He also held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and the Central Asian countries.
"Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh reached Tehran this evening. He will be meeting the Iranian Defence Minister (Brigadier General Amir Hatami) during his visit," his office said in a tweet.
India on Friday said that it was deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf and called upon the countries in the region to resolve their differences by dialogue based on mutual respect.
A series of incidents in the Persian Gulf involving Iran, the US and the UAE in recent weeks have flared up tension in the region.
We are deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf, Singh said in his address at a meeting of the SCO here.
"We call upon countries in the region - all of which are dear and friendly to India, to resolve differences by dialogue based on mutual respect, sovereignty and non interference in internal affairs of each other," he said in his address at the combined meeting of defence ministers of the SCO, Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Commonwealth of Independent States member states.
Last month, Iranian navy briefly seized control of a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in what the US said were international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.
Iran has threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if the United States tries to strangle its economy.
The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.
The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region.
Iran has observer status in the SCO, which was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc in 2017.
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Kharge rules out Chief Minister change in Karnataka 'for now'
Kalaburgai (Karnataka) (PTI): AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said there was no Chief Minister change in Karnataka "for now" and that the leadership issue in the state will be resolved soon.
The Congress chief's statement comes amid speculations within the party and political circles about a possible decision on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, once the results for assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two assembly segments in Karnataka, are announced.
Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have been insisting on his elevation in lines with a rumoured power-sharing agreement with CM Siddaramaiah when the party won the 2023 Assembly polls.
"You (media), he (Parameshwara) and people at the top say that it is better if I become (the chief minister). But, more than fate, as per my ideology and as per my service to the party so far, Sonia Gandhi takes decisions regarding me," he said in response to a question about Home Minister G Parameshwara's statement about Kharge becoming the CM.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "But, that question does not arise now. There is already a Chief Minister here. If Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and I, together, have to take any decision in the direction of a change, it will take some time. Let's wait and see."
Amid speculations about the leadership change in Karnataka, Parameshwara said on Wednesday that everyone in the ruling Congress party will welcome, if Kharge, a senior politician with a lot of experience, becomes the chief minister.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025. The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
To a question on JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy's statement that about 40 Congress MLAs having booked tickets to Delhi next month, amid the leadership tussle in the Congress, Kharge said, "I don't know, ask him for details."
