US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday indicated that India might not object to Pakistan playing a mediatory role in the ongoing US-Iran engagement, saying New Delhi’s concerns with Islamabad primarily stemmed from cross-border terrorism and not from its diplomatic outreach in West Asia.Responding to a question on whether the Indian side had expressed reservations over Pakistan acting as a facilitator in the Iran situation, Rubio acknowledged that India continued to remain concerned about terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory.“India is always pointing to the fact that there are armed terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory that target India. They’re always concerned about that,” Rubio said.However, he clarified that the issue of Pakistan’s role in facilitating contacts in the Iran crisis did not figure in his discussions with the Indian leadership.“But as far as the role they played as a mediator and a facilitator in the Iran situation, it never came up. I don’t think that they would complain about that. Their issue with Pakistan is different,” he said.Rubio’s remarks come at a time when Washington is engaged in delicate negotiations with Tehran amid continuing tensions in West Asia and concerns over regional stability, energy security and maritime trade routes.His comments are also being viewed as a nuanced acknowledgement of India’s long-standing position that its core dispute with Pakistan relates to terrorism emanating from across the border rather than Islamabad’s engagement with other regional powers.The statement assumes significance as New Delhi prepares to host the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday, where regional security, Indo-Pacific stability and the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia are expected to dominate discussions.Rubio is currently in India to participate in the Quad meeting alongside External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.