PM Modi condemns attacks in West Asia, seeks open shipping lanes in call with Iran President

PRime government minister Narendra Modi condemned attacks on vital substructure in westward Asia that disrupt render chains and called for keeping shipping lanes open during a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, as part of outreach to regional leaders to address escalating tensions and ensure India’s energy security.Pezeshkian referred to India’s presidency of BRICS and called for the grouping to play an “independent role” in halting aggression against Iran and in safeguarding regional peace, according to an Iranian readout of the call. He said the “immediate cessation of aggressions by the US and Israel” is a prerequisite for ending the war in the region.This was the second phone conversation between the two leaders since Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a conflict that has escalated in recent days with tit-for-tat strikes on oil and gas infrastructure, with ramifications for energy-importing countries such as India.Modi focused on India’s key concerns—the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupting merchant shipping, attacks on energy infrastructure affecting supplies, and the safety of 10 million Indians in West Asia—during the conversation.“Condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains,” Modi said on social media.“Reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure,” he said.Modi appreciated Tehran’s support for the safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran. He also conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings to Pezeshkian. “We expressed hope that this festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia,” Modi said.External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Araghchi—their fifth phone call since the start of the conflict—and discussed the latest developments and their regional implications.Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s call for BRICS to play a role in condemning Israeli and US attacks on Iran and in finding ways to de-escalate the situation and end the conflict.“Referring to India’s rotating presidency of BRICS, Pezeshkian called for the group to play an independent role in halting aggressions against Iran and in safeguarding regional and international peace and stability,” the Iranian readout said.Indian officials have acknowledged difficulties in forging a common position on the West Asia situation within BRICS, which works on the principle of unanimity or consensus, as several member states are involved in the conflict.Pezeshkian, according to the readout, described the “immediate cessation of aggressions by the US and Israel” and “guarantees against their recurrence in the future” as a prerequisite for ending the war in the region.He proposed the establishment of a “regional security framework composed of countries of West Asia” to ensure peace and stability through regional cooperation “without foreign interference”. Pezeshkian also signalled Iran’s readiness to engage in telephone and in-person dialogues with world leaders, including on the margins of the UN, for “verification and acceptance of oversight over its peaceful nuclear activities”.The Iranian readout quoted Modi as referring to his consultations with various world leaders and emphasising that all parties should move toward peace as soon as possible, since “choosing the path of war is in no one’s interest”.Pezeshkian reiterated concerns raised by Iran’s leadership in recent days, including that Israel and the US launched attacks during ongoing negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, for which Tehran had made several proposals. He also referred to an attack on a girls’ school on the first day of hostilities that killed nearly 170 people, most of them children, and said “the US targeted the school in Minab from bases located in neighbouring countries hosting US military installations”.Pezeshkian’s comments reiterated Tehran’s stance that its military is targeting military and other critical facilities in neighbouring countries that host US forces.He emphasised that Iran did not initiate the war, and said Israel and the US launched military attacks “without any justification, logic or legal basis… during ongoing nuclear negotiations”, resulting in the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and civilians.Pezeshkian rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims that the military action was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and said Khamenei had, in multiple meetings, “firmly opposed nuclear weapons” and issued directives prohibiting their development.He dismissed US allegations portraying Iran as a source of instability in the region and said Israel “carries out attacks and assassinations in Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, and elsewhere”, fuelling “unrest and conflict across the region”.The last round of calls between Modi and Pezeshkian, and Jaishankar and Araghchi, was followed by Tehran permitting two Indian-flagged LPG tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz. India’s recent efforts have focused on securing safe passage for 22 Indian-flagged vessels—including six LPG carriers, an LNG carrier and four crude tankers—carrying 320,000 metric tonnes of LPG, 200,000 metric tonnes of LNG and 1.67 million metric tonnes of crude oil that are currently located west of the strait.