India welcomes ceasefire, stresses dialogue and diplomacy

The Indian government on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) welcomed the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan close to the deadline, calling for an early end to the conflict and for “unimpeded” trade flow through the Strait of Hormuz. In a carefully worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs did not refer directly to any of the parties in the conflict by name. Unlike other foreign ministries in other capitals, the MEA did not “thank” Pakistan for its role in mediating between both sides and for offering to host the next round of talks expected this week.

India is expected to further articulate its position as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is in Washington. After meeting visiting Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman in Delhi on Wednesday (April 8), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will travel to Mauritius on April 10 for a regional Indian Ocean conference where he will meet counterparts from South Asia and West Asia, and will then fly to the United Arab Emirates for talks on April 11 and 12.