President Masoud Pezeshkian. And from what came out (mostly from the Iranian side, their embassy put out a statement pretty quickly), Pezeshkian was very clear and emotional about one thing: Iran did not start this war.
He told Modi straight up – we’re the ones being hit with heavy airstrikes by the US and Israel, even while nuclear negotiations were supposedly happening in the background. He listed some really painful stuff: top military people killed, references to harm coming close to the Supreme Leader himself, and worst of all, ordinary people – kids in schools, families, hospitals, power stations – getting caught in it. You can almost hear the frustration in how they phrased it: “unjustified aggression” while talks were on.
His main ask? Stop the attacks right now. He wants a proper ceasefire, plus solid promises that this kind of bombing won’t just start again whenever someone feels like it. Basically – give us breathing space so real diplomacy can actually work.
And here’s where it gets interesting for us in India. Pezeshkian specifically turned to BRICS (remember, India is chairing it this year) and said, “You guys need to play a real, independent role here.” He wants BRICS to help stop what he calls aggression against Iran and do something concrete to bring peace back – not just in West Asia, but for the bigger global picture. It’s like Iran is saying, “The usual Western channels aren’t working for us right now, so maybe the Global South grouping can actually make a difference.”
From Modi’s side – at least what was shared publicly – he focused on the practical stuff that hits India hard. He condemned attacks that wreck energy supplies and shipping lanes (Chabahar, Strait of Hormuz, all that is super important for us). He said let’s keep talking, keep diplomacy alive, don’t let things spiral. Classic Indian line: talk first, fight never if you can avoid it.
Look, I know a lot of people here in Delhi are watching this nervously. Oil prices already jumping a bit, flights getting rerouted, Indians working there worried about safety. At the same time, we have long-standing friendship with Iran – cultural ties, trade, the port project – but we also have deep relations with the US, Israel, Gulf countries. So Modi has to balance all that without India getting pulled into anyone’s camp.
Whether BRICS actually does anything big here… who knows. The group has more voices now (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, plus the new members), and under India’s turn, maybe there’s space to push de-escalation in a way that’s not seen as taking sides. But right now it feels like Iran is reaching out through every door it can – and this call with Modi was one of them.
These are the kind of nights when you scroll news and just hope nobody pushes the next red button.
Sources:
- Iranian Embassy in New Delhi official statement (via their X handle @Iran_in_India)
- The Times of India lead story
- Reports in The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Economic Times
