Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Meet PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi Ahead of BRICS Summit
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Leaders’ Summit, marking his first official visit to India since assuming the presidency. During the visit, President Pezeshkian will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening.
This visit represents the first time an Iranian president has traveled to India in more than eight years, following the last state visit by former President Hassan Rouhani in February 2018. The high-profile diplomatic visit comes at a critical juncture, as Iran remains engaged in an active conflict involving the United States and Israel, which has caused significant regional disruption over the last six months.
Diplomatic Deadlock Over BRICS Delhi Declaration
The visit carries added diplomatic weight as negotiators work to resolve disagreements within the BRICS bloc. Currently, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have not yet reached a consensus on the specific diplomatic language to be used in the upcoming BRICS Delhi Declaration.
To resolve the impasse, senior negotiators—known as BRICS Sherpas—from India, Russia, Brazil, and Egypt are actively working to mediate between the UAE and Iran to secure a mutually acceptable agreement on the declaration's text.
Recent Bilateral Engagements and Regional Concerns
The meeting on Friday follows a recent face-to-face discussion between Prime Minister Modi and President Pezeshkian on August 31 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders’ summit. That encounter was their first in-person meeting since the outbreak of the war in West Asia. Additionally, the two leaders have spoken by telephone at least twice over the past six months.
During their meeting in Bishkek, Prime Minister Modi expressed deep concern regarding the escalation of regional tensions and emphasized India's stance that all conflicts must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. In response, President Pezeshkian urged Prime Minister Modi to leverage India's extensive diplomatic relationships to encourage conflicting parties to move away from violence and return to negotiations, citing India's influential position and the deep historical ties between the two nations.
Maritime Security and the Strait of Hormuz
A key focus of the bilateral talks is expected to be maritime security. Prime Minister Modi has previously emphasized the necessity of maintaining peace and stability in the region, specifically calling for the protection of freedom of navigation and commerce to prevent harm to civilians, commercial shipping, and seafarers.
New Delhi remains highly concerned about ongoing attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, an issue that is anticipated to be raised during the discussions. The meeting takes place against the backdrop of renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran, following a brief and fragile ceasefire period, which has led to disruptions in Gulf shipping traffic.
