Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received some unsolicited advice on his two-day Iran visit from an unlikely source: one-time Democratic Party vice-presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.
The maverick former Senator, who has repudiated much of his earlier liberalism in favour of a hawkish foreign policy outlook, now chairs an organisation called United Against Nuclear Iran that opposes closer ties with the country that had labelled the US "The Great Satan" for decades.
In this capacity, Lieberman has taken it upon himself to issue a press release warning Modi of the risks of doing business with Iran because it sponsors Hamas and Hezbollah.
"Prime Minister Modi has a special opportunity to focus his efforts on pressuring Iran to halt its destabilising and provocative behaviour, rather than prematurely rewarding the regime with lucrative business opportunities," the press release quotes Lieberman as saying. He seems to be unaware that India did business with Iran even when the US-led sanctions regime was in place.
