NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held talks on Sept 11 in New Delhi, with India’s foreign ministry saying Modi underscored the need to protect freedom of navigation and commerce and ensure the safety and well-being of seafarers.
The meeting came on the eve of the BRICS leaders’ summit, as the United States and Iran resumed tit-for-tat strikes in their six‑month‑old war after a lull in August. India, which maintains historical and cultural links with Iran, strong strategic ties with Israel, and close relations with Arab Gulf states where millions of Indians live and work, has been directly affected by attacks on vessels in the region that have killed at least 10 Indian national.
“Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” the ministry said, adding that he called for continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region while safeguarding sea lanes and seafarers. This was the second Modi–Pezeshkian meeting in two weeks; they last spoke on Aug 31 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, where Pezeshkian told Modi Tehran sought a negotiated solution to its conflict with the US.
New Delhi has condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf neighbours, regional energy infrastructure and ships that have caused crew deaths, yet at Bishkek it signed a joint declaration criticizing the US–Israeli military campaign against Iran and Western sanctions. Earlier on Sept 11, speaking at the BRICS Business Forum alongside Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi said global trade can advance only “if sea lanes are secure, supply routes remain open, and seafarers are safe.” At the same event, Pezeshkian urged BRICS to create conditions where no country can disrupt others’ “legitimate trade,” warning that the growing use of economic pressure tools has jeopardized such trade.