Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, extending greetings on the occasions of Eid and Nowruz. The discussion, highlighted by Iran’s embassy in India on X, focused on bilateral ties, regional stability, and ongoing military conflicts affecting West Asia.

The talks come against escalating tensions following the February 28 killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint US-Israel military strikes. Iran’s retaliatory actions have disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route, raising concerns over international energy and food security.

Iran highlights US-Israel aggression

In the X post, the embassy detailed President Pezeshkian’s account of the recent hostilities. “Dr. President, outlining the dimensions of the aggression, unlawful attacks, and crimes committed by the U. S and the Zionist regime, emphasized that Iran did not initiate the war. He stated that the aggressor, without any justification, logic, or legal basis, launched military attacks against Iran during ongoing nuclear negotiations, resulting in the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, senior military commanders, and a number of defenseless civilians, including innocent schoolchildren, as well as targeting public infrastructure.”

The president cited the tragic Minab school attack, which killed 168 children, and rejected claims that US strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. “In multiple meetings attended by the Supreme Leader, the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution had firmly opposed nuclear weapons and had issued both administrative and religious directives prohibiting any move toward their development,” Pezeshkian stated.

He further accused Israel of perpetuating regional instability, conducting attacks in Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, and Qatar under the guise of security. Pezeshkian proposed a West Asian regional security framework to ensure peace and stability without foreign interference and called on BRICS, under India’s rotating presidency, to safeguard regional and international peace.

Modi urges peace and regional security

Prime Minister Modi, while offering Eid and Nowruz greetings, expressed “deep concern over the escalation of tensions and conflict in West Asia” and condemned attacks on energy infrastructure threatening global food and energy security. He emphasised the importance of ensuring continued safety of the Strait of Hormuz and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf.

Referring to discussions with global leaders, Modi said, “Choosing the path of war is in no one’s interest; therefore, all parties should move toward peace as soon as possible.”

Following the assassination of Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei has been appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.