'It is possible': Rajnath says India may 'play its role' in bringing peace in West Asia

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday indicated that New Delhi may play its role in initiating peace in West Asia amid the ongoing crisis between Iran and United States.When asked if India has any role to play in the West Asia crisis, Rajnath said, "It is possible that tomorrow, the time may come when India plays its role in this and achieves success as well.""The Prime Minister has appealed to both sides to end the war. Our Prime Minister has a very balanced approach to diplomatic matters," he added.This comes as the second round peace talks between Iran and United States -scheduled in Pakistan- stalled after disagreements over Iran's nuclear enrichment programme.Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump announced an extension of two-week with Iran amid frantic efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.Hours after announcing that he “expected to be bombing”, the US president said he would extend the ceasefire until Iranian negotiators submitted a proposal for peace.“Based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.Meanwhile, Iran dismissed the ceasefire extension as “a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike”, adding that “the time for Iran to take the initiative has come”.“The losing side cannot dictate terms,” Mahdi Mohammadi wrote on social media. “The continuation of the siege must be met with a military response.”