US should control Israel to ensure ceasefire with Iran: J&K CM Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the US should exert some control over Israel to ensure the success of the ceasefire with Iran.

Amid Pakistan-facilitated peace talks to resolve the US-Iran conflict, he also said that Pakistan has done what others could not.

"The US should exert some control over Israel. The way they are conducting indiscriminate bombing campaigns in Lebanon and the manner in which innocent lives are being taken there how can a ceasefire possibly hold?" Abdullah told reporters here.

He said while the ceasefire was a welcome initiative, but if it fails, "the blame will be solely on Israel".

"It will not be a fault of Iran or anyone else. So, the US should exert some restraint over Israel," he added.

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran as proposed by Pakistan.

However, the ceasefire has come under stress due to alleged violations by Israel, which launched strikes against Lebanon.

Asked about Trump's fresh threat if talks with Iran failed, Abdullah said perhaps the US President himself doesn't know what he is doing.

"He says one thing in the morning, another thing in the afternoon and the third one in the evening. The language that he uses is unbecoming of anyone let alone the US President. He ought to remind himself that he holds the office of the US President," the J-K CM said.

He said if anyone else uses such language on social media, they will be blocked and their account seized.

"But because he is the US President, people fear him and there is no action against him," he said.

Abdullah sought to know the point of issuing repeated threats.

"It was not Iran that initiated this war. The war was thrust upon Iran.First, tell us what was the actual objective of this war? After the ceasefire, the US has claimed a monumental victory, citing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But, the Strait was already open prior to the war and it was accessible to everyone, free of charge," he said.

The chief minister said after the war, Iran has seized the opportunity to declare that a toll tax must now be paid for passing through the Strait.

"So, what exactly has been achieved?" he asked.

Abdullah also asked the US President to create the necessary conditions to facilitate the ceasefire.

To a question about the Congress claiming that Pakistan's mediation was the failure of India's foreign policy, Abdullah said Pakistan did what others couldn't.

"I won't go into whether it was a failure or a success, but we have to accept that Pakistan did what others couldn't. I personally believe that our relations with Israel have become a bit of a weakness. Because, as I said, only Israel wants this war," he said.

Perhaps if we weren't so close to Israel, India could have done what Pakistan did, because we have good relations with both the US and Iran, he said.

"I think, and this is my personal opinion, that we couldn't play this role because our relations with Israel are too close. Now, the ceasefire that happened was good; if Pakistan played a role in it, then so be it," he added.