New Delhi: When sanctions against Iran were lifted in January 2016, India had described the international nuclear deal as a “triumph of diplomacy”. Over two years later, US president Donald Trump’s unilateral “withdrawal” from the nuclear deal and reinstatement of sanctions has led New Delhi to advise “all parties” to “engage constructively” to address the Iran nuclear deal.On Tuesday, Trump announced from the White House in Washington that the US was withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reinstating the “highest level of economic sanctions”. “Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States,” he added.A day later, India issued a cautiously worded statement in response, without really passing judgment or naming names .“India has always maintained that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy by respecting Iran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as also the international community’s strong interest in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” said Raveesh Kumar, the ministry of external affairs spokesperson. He noted that “all parties should engage constructively to address and resolve issues that have arisen with respect to the JCPOA”.IAEA, E-3 more forthrightOther major players with stakes in the Iran issue have not been no reticent to pass judgment.International Atomic Energy Agency head Yukiya Amano reiterated on Wednesday that “nuclear-related commitments are being implemented by Iran”.The impact of the re-institution of the sanctions would be felt by European firms, since US companies are currently not involved in business deals with Iran. The US treasury department has stated that the sanctions will be imposed in two phases of 90 days and 180 days.Meanwhile, leaders of the UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement that they regretted the move that the US has made, but that they will remain within the accord.Pakistan says treaties should be “sacrosanct”In contrast to India’s measured reaction, Pakistan has fully backed Iran and criticised the US for not keeping its international commitment. Islamabad also pointed out that while other countries were willing to hold further discussions, the US has arbitrarily withdrawn from any such diplomatic resolution.“We have noted the willingness of the parties to the agreement to work together on upholding their respective commitments as stipulated in the JCPOA, despite [the] US decision to withdraw from it,” said the Pakistan foreign ministry statement, adding: “Pakistan believes that International Treaties and Agreements concluded through painstaking negotiations are sacrosanct. Arbitrarily rescinding such agreements will undermine confidence in the value of dialogue and diplomacy in the conduct of international relations and the peaceful resolution of disputes.”Relations between Pakistan and the US have been rather strained in recent times, with the latter putting pressure to crack down on terror groups and cutting down on foreign aid.‘Iran will not immediately withdraw’The US president claimed that the “horrible, one-sided deal” had not prevented Iran from progressing on its nuclear weapons programme, the development of ballistic missiles and the spread of its influence through non-state actors in the Middle East. In the run-up to the withdrawal, France, Germany and the UK had frantically tried to convince Trump that they were working out a formula on some of the key issues that the Trump administration had a problem with. But the White House does not seem to have the patience to listen to its allies.Trump had also referenced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim as “new and conclusive proof” that Iran had lied about its nuclear weapons programme in the first decade of 21st century. European leaders and foreign ministries had responded by pointing out that most of the information was known to the international community , including the International Atomic Energy Agency – and made it even more imperative to reach a deal with Iran to cap its nuclear programme.After Trump’s statement, Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said said that Tehran would consult over the next few weeks with France, UK, German, Russia and China on economic guarantees before deciding on its response.In response to US persistent violations & unlawful withdrawal from the nuclear deal, as instructed by President Rouhani, I'll spearhead a diplomatic effort to examine whether remaining JCPOA participants can ensure its full benefits for Iran. Outcome will determine our response.— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 8, 2018“If we reached the conclusion at the end of this short time that we can achieve what the Iranian nation wanted from the JCPOA, it will stand despite what the US and the Zionist Regime want and their efforts and Trump’s impolite words tonight, and we can take our own steps for peace and security of the region and the world. If we see that our interests are not met, I will soon speak to the Iranian nation and tell them the decisions made in this regard,” said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday night in his address to the nation.India’s interestsIndia has, of course, major stakes in the region, not only due to the presence of the diaspora but also with implications for its energy security. As a result of Trump pulling out the US from the nuclear deal with Iran, oil prices surged to a three-and-half year high on Wednesday.US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation declaring his intention to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement on May 8, 2018. Credit: Reuters/Jonathan ErnstThere is also the question of India’s strategic investment in Chabahar port in Iran which is critical for connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia. During the visit of the now former US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, India had got assurances that it could go ahead with its cooperation with Iran on the project. This year, India has also been looking forward to accelerating the implementation of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC).Despite the relatively subdued response from India to Trump’s decision, New Delhi has been a rather enthusiastic supporter of the JCPOA.In January 2016, the lifting of the nuclear-related sanctions against Iran led to an extravagantly-worded congratulatory letter from India. External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj wrote to Javad Zarif that the “milestone represented a triumph of diplomacy and signalled a new chapter of peace, progress and prosperity for Iran and our region opening up vast opportunities for our two countries to expand their ongoing mutually beneficial cooperation in a number of spheres including energy infrastructure and regional connectivity”.A few months later, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also echoed those words during his visit to Tehran, describing the agreement and the lifting of sanctions as “triumph of diplomacy and sagacity”.During the reciprocal visit by President Hassan Rouhani to Delhi this year, India “reaffirmed support for full and effective implementation” of JCPOA, describing it as a “crucial contribution to the non-proliferation framework and international peace, stability and security”.India had also specifically pointed out that JCPOA was endorsed by UN Security Council resolutions – an argument missing from today’s response.Incidentally, during Tillerson’s press conference with Sushma Swaraj last year, he had specifically asked India to scale down its diplomatic presence in North Korea. While announcing the US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA, Trump also announced that his new secretary of state was on his second visit to Pyongyang to arrange for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.