പശ്ചിമേഷ്യയിൽ സംഘർഷം രൂക്ഷം: ഡൽഹിയിലെ ബ്രിക്സ് ഉച്ചകോടിയിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കാനുള്ള ഇറാൻ സ്പീക്കറുടെ സന്ദർശനം റദ്ദാക്ക

Amid fears of another flare-up in West Asia, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, one of the top leaders of Iran and the country's parliament speaker who played a leading role in negotiations with the US in recent months, has cancelled his visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Speakers' Forum gathering next week.

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum will meet on October 26-27. The venue is to be the Central Hall of Parliament, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be the host. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the event on October 26 which will be attended by presiding officers, lawmakers and delegates from BRICS member and partner countries including high-level representatives from Russia and China.

Confirming the cancellation of Qalibaf's visit, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, in a statement, said, "The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi wishes to inform that, due to certain unforeseen circumstances, Dr Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, will be unable to attend the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries in New Delhi."

"It is also emphasized that the parliamentary delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate in the meeting. As one of the members of BRICS, Iran reaffirms its commitment to active and effective participation at the highest levels in the summits and meetings of this grouping," it said.

"In this regard, the Iranian delegation will continue its dialogue and consultations with delegations from BRICS member countries, with a view to expanding and deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of parliamentary relations and cooperation," the embassy said.

Expressing its appreciation of the Indian government for its hospitality and the arrangements made for the meeting, the statement said it wished the meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS member countries "every success and hopes that it will yield constructive outcomes towards strengthening cooperation and engagement among member countries".

Tensions have soared again across West Asia. There is apprehension about a possible escalation and alerts and warnings are being issued by both the US and Iran. Israel too is headed to polls on October 27. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trailing in the opinion polls.

An N12 News poll published last week ranked Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party first with 23 seats, down one seat from the previous poll. A Channel 13 poll published at the same time also put Yashar in first place but gave it only 20 seats. In both polls, Netanyahu's Likud party came second, trailing Yashar and falling to 19 seats.

In the US, President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to a record low as Americans worried about high gasoline prices and appeared ready to punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed last Monday.

Some 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in either of his presidential terms, the four-day poll showed.

These lower ratings have created apprehension that an escalation of the situation in West Asia may boost their chances.

The New York Times reported that the US government has put employees on heightened alert across the region and moved to reduce personnel levels at embassies and consulates because of intelligence showing Iran is in advanced stages of planning attacks against Americans.

Intelligence officials raised alarms to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo Friday that warned about the dangers to State Department employees in the Middle East and other regions, the NYT quoted officials as saying.

The memo from Jay Clayton, Director of National Intelligence, said agencies had "received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel".

According to the Associated Press, the State Department is reducing staffing at four US embassies in the region after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the region and elsewhere.

The memo emerged shortly after the State Department announced it is reducing staff at the US embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

In announcing the staffing drawdowns this week, the State Department pointed specifically to increased threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels and did not mention threats to US personnel directly from Iran.

There has been a resurgence of fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, with the militant group launching missile and drone strikes against Saudi Arabia.

US officials have denied the drawdowns are tied to any potential new US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Speaking at a rally Friday in Florida, Trump touted the US military operations in Iran, which were dubbed 'Operation Epic Fury', and said "we may do another little Epic Fury, or they will agree. If they are smart, they will just say, let's get down to business."

Mediators have been trying to bring Washington and Tehran back to formal talks as the war has reached a stalemate.

According to Iranian state television, the Revolutionary Guard navy this week again threatened to strike US military bases in the region if the US keeps helping guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global energy trade.

"Any further escalation around the Strait of Hormuz or elsewhere in the region will put civilian lives and the well-being of all regional states and the global economy at great risk," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in an opinion column in the Financial Times this week.