Pakistan's push in Iran war diplomacy - is India sidelined?

The chatter in Delhi is unmistakable: as Pakistan positions itself as an intermediary in the US-Iran crisis, is India being sidelined? Islamabad has moved with unusual agility, casting itself as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran. Last week, it reportedly relayed a 15-point US peace plan to Iran and offered to host talks - an offer Tehran rejected. This week, Pakistan took the lead again, with its foreign minister flying to Beijing to seek Chinese backing for a five-point peace plan to end the conflict. For India, Pakistan's larger neighbour and arch rival, the optics are awkward. The unease is sharpened by a more uneven phase in India's ties with the US, even as Pakistan appears to be rebuilding channels with President Donald Trump. That, in turn, has sparked a familiar divide within India's strategic community. Some opposition parties and analysts argue that Delhi, with its own cross-cutting ties in the region, should at least have explored a mediatory role - lest it appear absent at a moment of geopolitical flux. The opposition Congress party has attacked the government, calling it an "embarrassment" for Indian diplomacy after reports of Pakistan being tapped as a med