Left parties' meet on Iran issue today

After sending out conciliatory signals by not pressing for a vote on the Iran issue in the Lok Sabha, the four Left parties will be meeting here tomorrow to chalk out their strategy for the UPA-Left coordination committee meeting likely to be held next week.

At the meeting, the Left parties are likely to seek a categorical commitment from the government on the issue, ahead of the crucial International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting next week, which will decide if the matter should be referred to the UN Security Council.

Yesterday, the CPI (M) had given a notice for discussions in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193, which provided for short-duration discussions only. The same day, CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

These developments appeared to signal a thaw in the relations between the government and its Left allies. Senior CPI (M) leader Nilotpal Basu, however, told Business Standard today that there was no change in the Left's stance on the Iran issue.

"We have requested the government to let us know about its decision ahead of the IAEA meeting. Whatever has to be decided should be based on consensus. As for the notice in the Lok Sabha, our options are open "" it can be withdrawn or another notice given," he said.

However, official sources said India would decide its position at the IAEA on the basis of its own national interest, not "Venezuela or China's". The government wanted to ensure that the campaign against Iran did not escalate to a point where the matter had to be referred to the UN Security Council.

If that happened, sanctions could be placed on that country, as a result of which important commodities like natural gas and oil that India buys from it would be hard to come by. Worse, as a result of shortage of oil (in case Iran suffered sanctions), world oil prices could shoot up beyond $66 to 68 a barrel, resulting in the ballooning of India's import bill.

Iran was also an important corridor to Afghanistan and Central Asia (given the denial of transit facilities by Pakistan) and if it became a global "untouchable", India's interests would suffer badly, they said.

They added that National Security Advisor M K Narayan was currently in London to persuade the western nations to dilute their stance on Iran. There was some evidence that India's mediatory role was having some effect on Iran as well "" which had allowed IAEA inspectors inside to look at some of its nuclear facilities.

However, the sources said that though India would make all efforts to thwart a confrontation between Iran and the west, it might side with the US on strategic grounds if things reached a situation where reconciliation was not possible.