00:00Hello and welcome to the special broadcast of India Today Global.
00:04We're here covering the India-Arab Ministerial Summit that is taking place in New Delhi.
00:10A lot of Arab ministers are here in New Delhi.
00:14And what is crucial is the future of India and the Arab world,
00:17but also tensions in the region that are going to be discussed,
00:21whether it's Iran or for that matter, Palestine.
00:24Let's begin with Iran.
00:25There are threats, a massive armada by the United States of America,
00:31and President Donald Trump has threatened that Iran is going to be attacked
00:35unless it strikes a deal with the United States of America.
00:40Countries like Turkey are trying to be peacemakers over here,
00:44and Iran has said that diplomacy is the way forward,
00:48but it's not going to bend down or bow down to U.S. threats and pressure.
00:53The coming days are going to be crucial.
00:56What's going to happen next?
00:58Preksha Jain with this report.
01:02Is Iran really running out of time?
01:05I have had and I am planning on it, yeah.
01:08We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now.
01:13With a huge U.S. armada headed towards the country
01:16and no sign of progress in dialogue,
01:19the indication of a strike couldn't be starker.
01:23Yet again, Donald Trump has warned of big, powerful ships sailing towards Iran
01:28that he would have to use unless Tehran meets his conditions.
01:33The Iranian regime stopping its crackdown on protesters is one of them.
01:38But it's certainly not Trump's only concern.
01:41What the American president really wants and has had his eyes on for a while
01:48is limiting Iran's nuclear program.
01:52Have you had any conversations with Iran in the last few days?
01:56And are you planning on it?
01:58I have had and I am planning on it, yeah.
02:01We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now.
02:05And it would be great if we didn't have to use them.
02:08Can you say what the message was that you shared with Iranians?
02:10Well, I told them two things.
02:12Number one, no nuclear.
02:14And number two, stop killing protesters.
02:17They're killing them by the thousands.
02:19You know, I stopped 837 hangings two weeks ago.
02:23But they're going to have to do something.
02:28But Iran's no Venezuela.
02:30It has already warned of a counter-strike on U.S. bases in response to any attack
02:35and rejected the scope of negotiation under threats.
02:38Iran's military spokesperson has pointed out that U.S. aircraft carriers have serious vulnerabilities
02:46and that numerous U.S. military assets in the Gulf region are within the range of Iran's missiles.
02:52But with the European Union listing Iran's revolutionary guards as a terrorist organization,
02:59the pressure seems to be catching up with the regime.
03:02And it has begun to garner support.
03:05Iranian foreign minister has traveled to Istanbul to meet with his Turkish counterpart.
03:10Turkey shares a border with Iran and is also a NATO member.
03:13It is thereby trying to play peacemaker, urging both parties to come to the negotiating table.
03:22The resumption of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S. on a constructive basis is vital for reducing regional tensions.
03:30We have conveyed to all our counterparts, starting with our president,
03:34that we are against a military intervention in Iran.
03:37Efforts to resolve tensions are in place.
03:42But neither Washington nor Tehran is known to be one to back down.
03:48And the threat of war looms larger than ever.
03:51Preksha Jain for India Today.
03:52Joining me now to discuss the situation between Iran and America
03:59is Dr. Vail Awad, a strategic affairs expert, a West Asia expert.
04:05We are seeing a lot of Arab leaders come over here, ministers, deputy ministers,
04:10at a time when things are getting hot in the Persian Gulf.
04:16What's your reading of what's going to happen in the coming days?
04:18Well, you see, when you are having a President Trump of the United States in the helm of power,
04:23you can expect anything.
04:25He may be talking there, he is looking for a diplomatic outcome,
04:28but he is more keen of doing something, sabotaging any kind of tranquility in the region.
04:34Having said that, I would say that the presence of the Arab ministers in India
04:37and this summit after 10 years, it also gives you an indication that most of the Arab countries
04:42look at India as a stakeholder, a major stakeholder in the region.
04:45So India can play a major role in triangulizing the area without going into a war.
04:50And that is why we do expect an all-out war, because Iran has already said it openly,
04:56that you attack us, even in a small attack, we will 10,000 times stronger than what you expected.
05:02So I think with all this ship and warship, he put it at the Strait of Hormuz,
05:06the main objective of the United States is to destroy Iran totally, disintegrate it,
05:12destroy its ballistic missile technology infrastructures, kill its scientists,
05:18and also close the Strait of Hormuz, where the global trade will be a great impact
05:23and India will be the first one to suffer.
05:26But if the U.S. does anything, it's these Arab leaders who are here today,
05:31their countries are going to be impacted, Dr. Awad.
05:34Absolutely. I mean, America is thousands of miles away from there.
05:37So immediately when this attack happened, because what Iran has said to the Arab country,
05:43who were hosting the American military bases,
05:46that if any attack happened by the American on Iran,
05:49it will be a legitimate target if any flight takes place from those military bases.
05:54So the American, that's why they're bringing the warships,
05:57they're going to Rodrigo Garcia, they're bringing their sophisticated weapon
06:00they have used in Venezuela operation, or even they've been threatening the whole of China.
06:05So if they wanted to attack, of course it is going to be a very huge impact on Iran.
06:10But I think Iran is full of surprises, and that's why Netanyahu himself,
06:14the Prime Minister of Israel, who told the American a week ago that they stopped the war.
06:19The reason was because he knew that the retaliation from Iran will be more stronger
06:25than the American forces could afford to stop it.
06:28Dr. Wail Awad, thank you so much for joining us here on India Today Club.
06:30Thank you very much. Thank you for having me.
06:33The issue of Palestine is also going to be a focus area in the India-Arab Foreign Minister's meeting.
06:40What is going to happen? To discuss this and more,
06:42I was joined by the Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine,
06:45and this is what she had to say. Listen in.
06:50The Charter of the Board of Peace, which has about 2,026 words,
06:54it's a 2,026 word document,
06:56and not one mention of Gaza,
06:59or even the two-state solution.
07:01Well, we have welcomed the peace agreement and the Board of Peace
07:09as it was stipulated in UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
07:17And 2803 was clear.
07:19It talks about how we move in Gaza from where we are today
07:24until a peace path and the probability of a statehood.
07:31So in that regard, we have welcomed the Board of Peace
07:35and we hope that it moves in that direction.
07:39Have things changed for the worse since President Trump came to office
07:43because he's more than just an ally of Netanyahu?
07:47In this Board of Peace, can Netanyahu be trusted?
07:51Look, at least the war had stopped, even partially.
07:56So we take that as a positive step.
08:00But we need to build up on that positive step
08:03and we need to beef it up
08:04because we need to tie it with international law.
08:07We need to tie it with our rights to self-determination.
08:10We need to tie it with the New York Declaration and so forth.
08:14When it comes to Netanyahu,
08:16I think Palestinians have a long history with Netanyahu
08:19and we know the trends when it comes to agreements
08:23or ideas for moving on in the future
08:27because Netanyahu has violated agreements left and right
08:32and we know his vision.
08:33His vision is that of a greater Israel
08:35and not only infringing on the rights of the Palestinians
08:40but also on neighboring countries.
08:43Zionist as a word is going to be considered hate speech now
08:46in the United States of America
08:48if used in a derogatory manner.
08:51Your response to that?
08:54My response to any wrongdoing is wrongdoing
08:58because if any other country was doing what Israel is doing,
09:04you would tell that country that what you're doing is wrongdoing
09:07and that wouldn't be against Zionism or anti-Semitic.
09:13So what is right is right.
09:15If you follow international law, then you're following just that.
09:20Speaking of the rights of people
09:22and the fight that you've been fighting,
09:25how do you see the role of the Arab world?
09:27We've seen how Iran stood by this cause
09:31and fought on the side of the Palestinians.
09:36But what is your take on the role of the Arab world?
09:41Were they as forthcoming?
09:43Should they've done more?
09:44Look, the Arab world is the backbone of the Palestinians.
09:48We might disagree on certain things,
09:50but in the final analysis,
09:53the issue of Palestine is of interest to all.
09:56And as such, we always ask for more
09:59from the Arabs, from all our allies,
10:01because we think we need to garner all the support we can.
10:05Today, I think the Arabs have stood tall
10:09when it comes to the ceasefire.
10:10There was a consensus on the displacement of Palestinians.
10:14If you remember when the talk was on the Riviera
10:19and the displacing of the Gazans,
10:21all the Arab countries, collectively and individually,
10:25said it very loudly, no on the displacement.
10:27Today, they are all on the two-state solution.
10:32Saudi Arabia has spearheaded the New York Declaration,
10:36and it has put all of its weight behind it.
10:39I believe there is a consensus in the Arab world
10:42on the resolution of this conflict,
10:45of this occupation,
10:47and the materialization of the two states.
10:49I was just going to ask you about the Riviera.
10:51Do you think the border piece of the plan for Gaza
10:55is not just to do with peace,
10:57but more to do with land?
10:58And the land would not be Israeli or Netanyahu's,
11:02but more so America and America taking a call
11:06on what they want to do with that land.
11:07Is that a concern?
11:09Is that a real concern?
11:10Well, people are speculating.
11:12Yes, it would be a concern,
11:13because that land is a Palestinian land,
11:16and any Riviera should be for its people,
11:19the Palestinian people.
11:21So that's a concern that this land
11:23could very well not be Palestinian.
11:26Well, hopefully it wouldn't,
11:27because it is Palestinian land.
11:30Is there any way of being on an engagement
11:32or a negotiating table with America,
11:35or is it always going to be a U.S.-Israel decision
11:39that would be thrust upon Palestine?
11:41We need to push.
11:42We need to be around the table.
11:44We're not a menu.
11:45We have to be around the table
11:47on the decision-making level,
11:50because today for Palestinians,
11:53it's enough that people are continuing to talk about us.
11:57They need to speak with us.
11:59We are the side that needs to be spoken to,
12:02just like the world speaks to the Israelis.
12:05We are the other side.
12:07And it's high time that we come to that table,
12:11and we need to continue raising our voices
12:13on the necessity to be engaged.
12:15And finally, in terms of India and India's position,
12:19in the recent past,
12:19you must have noticed and seen a little shift
12:23in India's voting pattern at the United Nations.
12:27What are your expectations?
12:28What are you taking to the table
12:30when you speak with your Indian counterpart
12:33on what India's historic position has been,
12:36the change, and where should India stand?
12:39India should stand with international law.
12:42India is a two-stater.
12:44India is the largest democracy.
12:48India believes in international law,
12:51and they should go by what international law says,
12:54as it pertains to Israel-Palestine.
12:57It's very clear the materialization of the state
13:00has to move on,
13:02and we would expect that India moves in that direction.
13:05India has been a very good friend for decades,
13:09and it has helped with humanitarian assistance.
13:13It has helped a lot with development assistance,
13:17and we already have several projects in Palestine going on,
13:23and we expect that to continue.
13:25And we expect it to continue being friends with Israel.
13:29We have absolutely no problem with that.
13:31We don't want to delegitimize Israel,
13:33but we want to legitimize Palestine.
13:35and when you are a friend, you can be a bridge
13:38if you wish to take that role.
13:41Well, I'm going to say thank you all the time,
13:46and we want to work with our Dziel
13:49and I'll see you next time later in time.
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13:59Thank you very much.
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