PM Modi urges Iran to keep critical shipping lanes open

PTI

New Delhi

In a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in West Asia and called for keeping the critical shipping lanes “open and secure”, amid major disruption in global energy supplies in view of Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Significantly, the Iranian President proposed setting up a regional security framework comprising West Asian countries to bring peace and stability in the region “without foreign interference,” according to an Iranian readout of the talks. Pezeshkian also urged India, as the current BRICS chair, to leverage its “independent role” to halt the US-Israel hostilities against Iran.

According to the readout, the President rejected Washington’s claims that the US launched the military offensive against Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. Pezeshkian also stressed that late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “firmly opposed” nuclear weapons and had issued both administrative and religious directives prohibiting any move toward their development, it said.

Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi and discussed the conflict in West Asia and its implications for the larger region.

In a post on ‘X’, Modi said he conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings to Pezeshkian and expressed hope that the festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia.

“Condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains. Reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure,” the Prime Minister said.

“Appreciated Iran’s continued support for the safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran,” he said.

It is the second phone conversation between Modi and Pezeshkian in the last 10 days. The talks between the two leaders came against the backdrop of increasing global concerns over fresh attacks on West Asian gas hubs.

The President reiterated Iran’s consistent readiness to engage in dialogues with world leaders, including on the sidelines of the United Nations, for “verification and oversight” of Tehran’s peaceful nuclear activities, Tehran said in the readout.

He described the “actions” of the US and Israel against Iran as “profoundly inhumane and unethical, and strongly condemned them”, it said.