Iran’s Mediation Offer To India, Pakistan With A 13th Century Poem

As diplomatic and military tensions between India and Pakistan simmer following Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Iran has stepped forward with an offer to mediate between the two countries. Citing centuries-old civilizational ties and invoking a Persian poem from the 13th century, Tehran said it is ready to help defuse tensions in the region. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday described both India and Pakistan as “brotherly neighbours”.

“India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbours of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties. Like other neighbours, we consider them our foremost priority. Tehran stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater understanding at this difficult time,” he said. 

Mr Araghchi’s statement was accompanied by a quotation from Bani Adam, a famous 13th-century Persian poem written by legendary Iranian poet Saadi Shirazi. 

“Human Beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul, If one member is inflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain,” the poem reads. 

India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbors of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties. Like other neighbors, we consider them our foremost priority.

Tehran stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater… pic.twitter.com/5XsZnEPg2D

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 25, 2025

Bani Adam, or “Sons of Adam,” was also quoted by former US President Barack Obama in a New Year’s message to the people of Iran in 2009. 

In parallel with Iran’s mediation overture, Saudi Arabia has also sought to de-escalate the situation. According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

“Had a telecon with Foreign Minister @FaisalbinFarhan of Saudi Arabia. Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack and its cross-border linkages,” Mr Jaishankar said in a statement. 

The mediation offer came amid concerns over the possibility of escalation between India and Pakistan. On Tuesday, 26 tourists were killed in a terror attack in the town of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. India has directly blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack through cross-border support for terrorist groups. Pakistan has denied involvement. As tensions grew, military exchanges along the Line of Control (LoC) have also been reported.

India responded to the Pahalgam attack with a series of stringent diplomatic and economic measures. On Wednesday, the government suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a 65-year-old bilateral agreement governing river water sharing. New Delhi also shut down the Attari land border crossing, expelled Pakistani military attaches, and downgraded diplomatic ties.

Additionally, the government directed all Pakistani nationals who had entered the country via the Attari crossing to exit Indian territory by May 1.

On Thursday, Islamabad announced the closure of its airspace to Indian commercial flights and suspended all trade with India, including commerce routed through third countries.