BRICS India 2026: Iran President Pezeshkian To Meet PM Modi Today Amid West Asia Conflict

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on September 11 evening, during his first visit to India since taking office.

The visit also marks the first trip to India by an Iranian president in more than eight years. Pezeshkian’s visit comes against the backdrop of continuing tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States. With the West Asia conflict remaining a major international concern, his talks with PM Modi are expected to cover the regional situation, bilateral relations and efforts to keep diplomatic channels open.

The last Iranian president to visit India was Hassan Rouhani, who travelled to New Delhi in February 2018.

Pezeshkian’s India visit comes just days after his meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since the outbreak of the latest West Asia conflict.

During their August 31 meeting, Modi expressed concern over the escalation in the region and reiterated India’s call for disputes to be resolved through “dialogue and diplomacy.” He also underlined the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and commerce while ensuring the safety of civilians, civilian infrastructure and commercial shipping.

Pezeshkian, for his part, called on India to use its relations with various countries and stakeholders to help steer the region away from conflict and towards dialogue and a negotiated settlement.

Pezeshkian’s BRICS Engagement

Pezeshkian is visiting India as New Delhi hosts the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit. The grouping has expanded considerably in recent years and currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

BRICS provides a platform for member countries to discuss a range of issues, including economic cooperation, trade, investment, energy security, development, technology and reforms to global institutions.

As the host nation, India is working towards building consensus among member countries on a joint New Delhi Declaration. However, differences within the grouping over the response to the West Asia conflict have emerged as one of the major challenges in the negotiations.

Pezeshkian’s visit is therefore expected to carry significance beyond India-Iran bilateral ties, with the regional conflict and the future of diplomatic engagement likely to feature prominently in discussions on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.