Iran, India discuss regional peace, bilateral ties in phone call

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation on Tuesday, focusing on regional peace, bilateral relations, and cooperation within the BRICS group of developing nations. According to Press TV, President Pezeshkian highlighted the deep and rich history of respectful bilateral relations between Iran and India, stating that the two countries possess vast capacities to expand their ties in the future.

During the call, Pezeshkian praised India for its successful planning and organization of a recent meeting of BRICS energy ministers, which took place last week. This meeting provided an opportunity for Iran and India to discuss expanding energy cooperation, particularly regarding Iran's exports of oil and petroleum products. The discussions occurred amid a brief waiver of US sanctions on Iranian oil sales, enabled by a recent agreement between Iran and the United States.

Pezeshkian assured Modi that Iran would adhere to its commitments under the memorandum of understanding signed with the US in mid-June, provided that the US also fulfills its obligations under the agreement. However, he emphasized that regional and international powers have a duty to prevent any repetition of the US-Israeli aggression on Iran, which endangered shipping routes in the Persian Gulf during the aggression in March and April. "The international community must work toward consolidating this process, so that aggression and the use of force find no place in international relations," the Iranian president said.

Prime Minister Modi expressed that New Delhi supports any initiative that brings peace and stability to the West Asia region. He offered condolences on the martyrdom of the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and other senior Iranian officials during the US-Israeli aggression. Modi also announced that India would dispatch a special delegation to attend the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Khamenei next week. Additionally, Modi invited Pezeshkian to a summit of BRICS leaders in India planned for mid-May.

According to Mehr News, the phone call underscored the potential for enhanced cooperation between Iran and India in various fields, including energy, and highlighted the importance of regional stability.