New Delhi, 11 September (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi on Friday, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, as heightened tensions in West Asia continued to raise concerns over regional security, energy supplies and international trade.

The meeting assumed particular significance as Iran remains at the centre of escalating tensions in West Asia. Pezeshkian’s visit to India is also notable as his first trip to the country since becoming Iran’s president and the first visit by an Iranian president to India in more than eight years.

During their talks, PM Modi reiterated India’s longstanding position that disputes and conflicts must be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy. India has also stressed the importance of protecting civilians, commercial shipping and seafarers, while safeguarding freedom of navigation and international commerce amid disruptions caused by the conflict.

The two leaders had met only days earlier, on August 31, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. At that meeting, they discussed bilateral relations as well as developments in West Asia. Modi had expressed concern over the escalation and called for sustained diplomatic efforts to restore peace and stability in the region.

The latest Modi-Pezeshkian engagement comes at a critical juncture for the expanded BRICS grouping. The New Delhi summit is taking place against the backdrop of conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, disruptions to important trade and shipping routes, and broader uncertainty in the global economy. These developments are expected to test the ability of the enlarged grouping to find common ground on security, trade and economic cooperation.

Iran’s participation has added particular diplomatic weight to the summit. Tehran is now a member of the expanded BRICS grouping, alongside other major energy-producing countries. Its presence gives the forum an important role in discussions on energy security, international commerce and the changing geopolitical balance.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar