US-Iran Conflict Not NATO’s War: Norway Deputy Foreign Minister Kravik | Exclusive

Closing Up as much as now:April 30, 2026, 22:28 IST

Discussions with S Jaishankar deem India’s firm push for peace, Andreas Kravik tells CNN-News18

Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Wednesday, spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi amid the continuing Iran struggle, signalling endured diplomatic engagement at the same time as global divisions persist. “Had an broad conversation about varied aspects of the brand new quandary. We agreed to live in conclude contact,” Jaishankar said after the call. The outreach comes just days after an India-led meeting of BRICS envoys failed to arrive at a unified position on the Gulf crisis.

The war, which erupted on February 28 following the killing of Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israel strikes, has exposed sharp fault lines within the West, particularly within NATO. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised allies for not backing Washington militarily or deploying naval forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Against this backdrop, CNN-News18 sat down with Andreas Kravik, Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway, a member of NATO, to unpack the lack of a unified response within the alliance, the implications of emerging rifts, and whether they could shape the trajectory of the war. Kravik also weighed in on India’s role, describing New Delhi as a formidable global voice advocating diplomacy and peaceful resolution, even as it stays away from direct mediation.

Perceive Beefy Interview Here:

Edited excerpts below:

President Trump said, “you never know” when asked if the White Residence dinner taking pictures incident used to be linked to the Iran war. Nonetheless extra broadly, is that this struggle contributing to rising anti-American sentiment globally? Map you deem the struggle is now spilling over dangerously into societies far beyond the battlefield?

I will’t touch upon the specifics of the incident within the US as that’s for investigators to set up. Nonetheless broadly, conflicts like this would presumably possess ripple effects beyond the battlefield, and that’s something now we must be acutely conscious of.

Our arena has been consistent from the initiate, we need a diplomatic resolution to this struggle. And we strongly condemn any have of anti-Americanism or antisemitism, wherever it occurs.

Norway is a member of NATO. And we’re no longer seeing a unified NATO backing the US on this struggle. Is that this a signal of deeper fractures inner the alliance, or is Europe distancing itself from Washington?

Learn, NATO doesn’t possess a proper impartial on this struggle. Here’s a war interesting the US, Israel, and Iran, so the alliance itself is circuitously engaged.

That acknowledged, NATO remains a actually sturdy partnership, historically one amongst presumably the most profitable alliances, and our cooperation with the US continues across many areas.

Where Europe is stepping in is spherical securing the Strait of Hormuz. International locations like the UK and France possess launched initiatives, and we’re fragment of those efforts. There are also ongoing discussions with the US on how Europe can contribute.

So, while Europe isn’t focused on the stopping on the bottom, there could be a clear impartial in stabilising the quandary, critically in holding well-known alternate routes initiate, which is crucial for the worldwide economy.

You talked about that “here is no longer NATO’s war. It’s a war between the US and Iran”. But President Trump has repeatedly rebuked NATO allies for not deploying their navies to help open up the Strait of Hormuz. The US is also reportedly considering withdrawing from the alliance. There are even reports of a Pentagon email suggesting that “difficult” worldwide locations like Spain could presumably well also be sidelined from key positions inner NATO. So, is that essentially that you just’ll want to presumably well deem of? And the contrivance could presumably well this rift affect the capacity forward for the alliance?

The NATO alliance remains sturdy and continues to collaborate across a broad fluctuate of issues. Nonetheless on this convey struggle interesting Iran, it’s pure that there are diversified viewpoints inner the alliance.

In the occasion you’re going to need 32 democracies, some divergence is expected. What issues is that the alliance continues to impartial and gain frequent ground.

If truth be told, we’re seeing sure indicators, defence spending is rising across Europe. Norway, as an illustration, is now spending spherical 3.5% of its GDP on defence.

So sure, there are differences on this quandary, but that’s same old. NATO is no longer formally fragment of this struggle, and member states are free to take their very possess positions.

So, with the Strait of Hormuz shut again, how severe is the chance of a worldwide vitality shock, and is Europe making ready for worst-case conditions?

We’re already seeing the affect, prices are rising, critically in Asia, which has been hit first. After I was in India about a weeks within the past, this used to be a serious arena in practically every dialogue, how to limit the industrial fallout of this struggle. We’re having the same conversations across Europe, alongside side in Norway.

The worldwide economy is deeply interconnected, and so are present chains. When a well-known chokepoint like the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted, it affects the total world.

That’s exactly why we’ve been pushing for peace talks to resume, to de-escalate the struggle, reopen the Strait, and forestall additional harm to global growth.

Now, talks were expected in Islamabad, but Washington pulled out of the second spherical. So, are diplomatic off-ramps effectively closing, or is there smooth a viable channel left?

Handiest the events themselves can issue with authority, but from our interactions, alongside side with Pakistan, there does appear like an bustle for food to resume negotiations. Every side possess indicated they don’t desire a return to beefy-scale struggle and are initiate to a diplomatic solution.

That acknowledged, there could be moderately quite so much of mistrust, which is pure within the heart of hostilities. That’s why a legitimate third salvage collectively is crucial. We affirm Pakistan has been taking part in a positive impartial, inserting forward proposals and attempting to title frequent ground.

From what we hear, both the US and Iran are snug with Pakistan acting as an middleman. So, there could be smooth a pathway, and we hope this would presumably lead to talks resuming quickly.

Speaking of Pakistan’s impartial, we’ve spoken to Israeli officers who possess clearly acknowledged they cease no longer belief Islamabad as a mediator. What is NATO’s review of Pakistan’s impartial?

NATO doesn’t possess a proper review of Pakistan’s impartial, but from Norway’s viewpoint, we’ve been enticing closely with them, and the conversations had been positive.

Pakistan’s capacity aligns with ours, specializing to find frequent ground and being ingenious in diplomacy. From what we hear, both the US and Iran are snug with Pakistan acting as a coast-between.

So, we query Pakistan as a legitimate third salvage collectively and are ready to augment those efforts. The hope is that this would presumably raise both side abet to the table and circulation in direction of a diplomatic solution.

Despite its sturdy ties with both Iran and Israel, India has stayed far from a proper mediation impartial within the struggle, largely in step with its multi-alignment blueprint. So the build does India match into this crisis? Could presumably well well New Delhi emerge as a stabilising power or a strategic balancer within the realm?

India is a formidable player on the worldwide stage, no longer factual politically, but economically as wisely. It has a voice that carries weight, and when it speaks in regards to the significance of worldwide legislation and diplomacy, of us listen.

From our viewpoint, India has been consistent on that entrance. After I was on the Raisina Dialogue 2026, my discussions with the distant places minister and other resolution-makers were very sure: there could be sturdy reinforce for a tranquil resolution to this struggle.

That’s the impartial India on the total plays, backing worldwide legislation, multilateralism, and the UN Charter. And we hope to query that continue going forward.

Coming abet to the US story, it suggests it has already weakened Iran tremendously. From Europe’s review, has Washington in point of fact obtained the greater hand, or does Iran smooth shield strategic leverage?

Let me reveal upfront, we reinforce key issues raised by the US, critically making sure Iran would no longer assemble nuclear weapons and that extremely enriched uranium is wisely accounted for. We’ve also raised issues in regards to the Iranian regime’s medication of its possess of us.

Nonetheless within the slay, these issues need a diplomatic solution. For any result to be sturdy, it has to be anchored in a legitimate agreement. That’s the suitable capacity forward.

On the same time, while Iran has been militarily weakened, it smooth holds necessary leverage, critically over the Strait of Hormuz. That affords it the capacity to persuade the route of this struggle.

Which is why we continue to induce both side to return to the negotiating table. A compromise is probably, but most racy if there’s a willingness to possess interplay and work via the diversities.

So, what does a realistic endgame even ogle like here—regime behaviour alternate in Iran, a negotiated settlement, or a power frozen struggle?

Witness, Iran can’t be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon. That’s no longer factual Norway’s arena, it’s a query shared by many of the worldwide community.

On the same time, now we possess to uphold worldwide legislation and produce sure that the use of power aligns with the UN Charter. We’ve raised issues about actions that can no longer meet that commonplace.

In the slay, the suitable sturdy solution is a negotiated one, the build Iran receives sanctions relief in return evidently guarantees that this would presumably no longer pursue nuclear weapons. That ought to be backed by sturdy worldwide inspections and a legitimate thought to handle extremely enriched uranium, both by down-blending it or entertaining it out of Iran.

If talks can address these issues, there could be a route forward. Nonetheless it’s equally crucial to ship a sturdy message on the regime’s medication of its possess of us, which now we possess condemned within the strongest terms.

Turning to India-Norway ties, Prime Minister Modi is expected to talk to Oslo subsequent month for the India-Nordic Summit. What key areas of cooperation cease you count on to be prioritised, and could presumably well we query the relationship develop beyond alternate and climate into extra strategic coordination?

I deem, India is a formidable player on the worldwide stage, with a sturdy voice on worldwide legislation and multilateralism. It’s also a snappy-increasing, dynamic economy with a thriving excessive-tech sector.

There’s sturdy hobby inner Norway’s industry community to deepen collaboration with Indian partners, and a excessive-stage focus on with would be a important replacement to take that forward.

We are capable of continue to prioritise India, it’s one amongst our key partners within the World South, and we pause unsleeping for expanding engagement on the final be conscious ranges.

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