New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the need to safeguard freedom of navigation and commerce in West Asia when he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday. He also stressed the safety and well-being of seafarers, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
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The two leaders discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship and exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia. Modi reiterated India's position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, the MEA said. He also called for continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.
Pezeshkian is in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit, which India hosts on September 12 and 13. Friday's talks were the leaders' second meeting in under two weeks. They last met on August 31, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.
"From Bishkek to Delhi, the productive discussions continue," Modi said in a post on X. "This visit is more special because it is his first visit to India."
Shipping was on the agenda in Bishkek as well. According to the MEA's readout of that meeting, Modi "emphasised that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including commercial shipping and seafarers must not be harmed under any circumstances." Iran's embassy in India gave its own account of the Bishkek talks. It said "cooperation in the fields of transportation and maritime affairs, developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, and the progress of cooperation at Chabahar Port were among the most important issues discussed."
The Strait of Hormuz has been a main route for India's energy imports. Before the current disruption, India sourced as much as half of its crude oil from countries that use the strait as a transit route. About 90 percent of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) imported by India also passed through the strait.
Traffic through the strait has collapsed since the war between Iran and the United States and Israel began on February 28. About 100 ships a day crossed the strait before the war, according to Al Jazeera's estimates. Citing ship-tracking firm Kpler, Al Jazeera reported this month that the 10-day average had fallen to 13 vessels a day. The fighting has also turned on tankers. In the first week of September, the United States struck three Iranian oil tankers, Al Jazeera reported. Iran said it had hit three tankers using "unauthorised routes" and three US-linked vessels.
India has since changed where it buys from. In March, the petroleum ministry said about 70 percent of the country's crude imports were coming from outside the Strait of Hormuz. By August, the United States accounted for about 67 percent of India's LPG imports.
Oil prices are still under pressure. Brent crude futures for November delivery touched USD 109.97 per barrel on Friday morning, their sixth straight day of gains. The publication attributed the rise to the US-Iran fighting.
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Indian seafarers have been among those killed in attacks on merchant vessels near the strait. In July, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) cited heightened security risks from these attacks. It asked ship owners, managers and recruitment firms to "avoid assigning Indian seafarers to voyages involving passage through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders."
During Friday's meeting, Modi thanked Iran for its regular, high-level participation in BRICS-related meetings "despite the challenging circumstances," the MEA said. He noted the potential of BRICS to build a spirit of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability among countries of the Global South. He also thanked Pezeshkian for taking part in the Leaders' Session of the BRICS Business Forum.
Iran joined BRICS in January 2024. Modi appreciated the continued cooperation between the two countries on issues of mutual interest in multilateral organisations, including BRICS.
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