New Delhi, April 11 -- As crucial talks between the United States and Iran commences in Islamabad on Saturday, the Congress party voiced cautious optimism over prospects for peace while launching a sharp critique of the Centre's foreign policy, raising what it termed "serious questions" about India's strategic positioning in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.

In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the meeting raises hopes globally, including in India, that it could mark "the beginning of a durable peace process" between Washington and Tehran. However, he warned that such efforts must not be "derailed by Israel's continuing aggression in its neighbourhood."Ramesh used the occasion to question what he described...