Pezeshkian's India visit: Iran eyes deeper trade ties, Chabahar cooperation at BRICS Summit

Iran has once again highlighted India as a vital diplomatic hub ahead of country's President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to New Delhi for the upcoming BRICS summit. Iran expressed optimism that the grouping will provide a strong platform to deepen bilateral trade and strategic cooperation.During a press briefing on 7 September, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei emphasised the importance Tehran places on its long-standing ties with New Delhi.Referring to President Pezeshkian's recent bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Baghaei reaffirmed that Iran plans to leverage diplomatic engagements in India to expand economic collaboration.Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, last week. This marked the first meeting between the two leaders in two years. India reiterated its backing for all efforts for long-standing peace and stability in the region."One of the meetings that President Masoud Pezeshkian held was with the Prime Minister of India. Our relationship with India is a long-standing, historic and civilizational relationship, and we attach great importance to our ties with India," Iranian Embassy in India wrote in a post on X on Monday.BRICS Summit on 12-13 September in New DelhiIndia will host the 18th BRICS Summit on 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The Summit brings together leaders of BRICS Member and Partner Countries as well as Outreach Invitees.India is the BRICS Chair for the 2026 edition. The BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The theme reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of ‘Humanity First,’ according to a 27 August statement by Ministry of External Affairs.Looking ahead to President Pezeshkian’s agenda for the BRICS Summit scheduled in New Delhi on September, Baghaei expressed confidence that multilateral diplomacy will further accelerate bilateral progress."We will certainly make use of the opportunity provided by the BRICS Summit to continue our discussions and consultations with India in areas of mutual interest," Baghaei affirmed.Baghaei further underscored India’s influential role across major multilateral groupings, including the SCO summit and BRICS. "India is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS," he said. "It is also one of the countries with which we have good relations in various areas, particularly trade and economic cooperation," he said.Chabahar cooperation top priority for both nationsHighlighting specific focus areas, Baghaei singled out connectivity and logistics infrastructure as a top priority for both nations, especially the Chabahar Port.India and Iran are holding discussions on an interim arrangement to manage Chabahar Port, even as the United States pushes for a fresh round of peace negotiations with Tehran, according to an Economic Times report citing people familiar with the developments said last month.According to the ET report, the Indian government is negotiating with Iran to establish an agreement with a local port authority that would oversee Chabahar's management until sanctions are lifted"Various issues are usually discussed during consultations between Iran and India, including the Chabahar Port, which is important to both countries," he noted."Overall, as I mentioned, our relationship with India is very good and continues to develop," he added.During the meeting at SCO last week, PM Modi had reiterated India's readiness to closely cooperate with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and SCO. Prime Minister Modi conveyed to Pezeshkian that he looked forward to welcoming the Iranian President to India for the BRICS Summit.PM Modi also expressed New Delhi's resolve to "expand and diversify" bilateral trade channels with Iran, emphasising the country's dedication to deepening historic ties across multiple domains.An Iranian readout of the Modi-Pezeshkian meeting during SCO had said the Iranian president expressed "appreciation" for New Delhi's support and cooperation with Iran during the recent war and emphasised the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to establish peace and security in the region.The President had referred to India's important position and capacities in the region and the world, as well as the deep historical and cultural ties between the two nations.‘Help move away from war and bloodshed’Pezeshkian had also urged Modi to use India's extensive contacts with various parties to help them move away from war and bloodshed and return to dialogue and agreement, according to the handout.Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, along with other senior delegates from Tehran, were among those who attended the bilateral meeting between the Indian Prime Minister and Iranian President.Our relationship with India is a long-standing, historic and civilizational relationship, and we attach great importance to our ties with India.The high-level discussions took place against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in West Asia impacting regional stability, commercial navigation and maritime logistics.(With agency inputs)About the AuthorGulam JeelaniGulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br>

Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br>

Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br>

Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.