PM Modi, Iran President exchange views on ‘difficult situation’ in West Asia, stress need for de-escalation

This comes after the PM spoke to British PM Rishi Sunak and UAE’s Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday and discussed the situation arising out of the Israel-Hamas war.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on Monday discussed the “difficult situation” in the West Asian region in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as part of Delhi’s diplomatic engagement with the key players in the war.

This comes after the PM spoke to British PM Rishi Sunak and UAE’s Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday and discussed the situation arising out of the Israel-Hamas war. Modi has spoken to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah-II on the issue in the last one month.

While assessing the volatile situation, India is reaching to major stakeholders in the West Asian region who have deep stakes, some credibility and influence on the situation.

The phone call to Tehran comes nearly a month since the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel that provoked a military response by Israel on Gaza.

Modi, during his call with the Iranian President, expressed deep concern over the “terrorist incidents, violence and loss of civilian lives” in the conflict, as per a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office. Modi also reiterated India’s longstanding and consistent position on the Israel-Palestine issue.

On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during which the latter called for a ceasefire in the conflict. The two foreign ministers discussed the concern of the international community and Jaishankar conveyed the importance of preventing escalation and providing humanitarian support, as per his tweet. In his call with PM Modi, President Raisi shared his assessment of the situation. Both the leaders stressed the need for preventing escalation, ensuring continued humanitarian aid and early restoration of peace and stability, the PMO statement said.

Iran has also urged the BRICS member states – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – to intervene in an active, constructive and responsible manner to stop the Israeli regime’s war crimes against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Besides discussing the conflict situation, Modi and Raisi also reviewed and positively assessed the progress in multifaceted bilateral cooperation, said the PMO. They welcomed focus and priority accorded to the Chabahar Port in Iran for improving regional connectivity. The strategically important Chabahar Port offers an alternative route that bypasses Pakistan, reducing India’s reliance on its neighbour for trade with Afghanistan and beyond. It also offers a gateway to the resource-rich and economically vibrant region of Central Asia.