Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to pursue dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the escalating West Asia conflict, while stressing the need to protect maritime trade and the safety of seafarers. The message came during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
The meeting assumes significance as fighting between the United States and Iran has intensified again after a period of relative calm. For India, the conflict is not a distant geopolitical crisis. Disruptions to shipping routes and attacks on commercial vessels directly affect Indian trade, energy security and the safety of Indian nationals working at sea. Reuters reported that at least 10 Indians have been killed in attacks on vessels transiting the region.
Modi reiterated India’s consistent position that outstanding disputes must be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy. He also called for freedom of navigation and commerce and emphasised the safety and well-being of seafarers. The Indian position reflects an attempt to maintain communication with Tehran while making clear that disruptions to international shipping cannot become a long-term feature of the conflict.
The timing of the meeting is particularly important. Pezeshkian’s visit is his first to India as Iran’s president and comes as New Delhi hosts BRICS leaders. Modi and Pezeshkian had also met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek on August 31, showing that India is maintaining a direct diplomatic channel with Tehran despite the wider confrontation.
For India, the challenge is balancing multiple strategic relationships. New Delhi has longstanding ties with Iran, close partnerships with Gulf countries and a strategic relationship with Israel, while also maintaining important economic and diplomatic engagement with the United States and Russia.
The Modi-Pezeshkian meeting therefore represents more than a bilateral exchange. It underlines India’s attempt to position itself as a diplomatic bridge while protecting its own interests in energy, trade and maritime security.
