Modi Walks Hand-in-Hand With Iran's Pezeshkian at BRICS Forum, Holds Bilateral Talks
PM Modi walked hand-in-hand with Iranian President Pezeshkian at the BRICS Business Forum and later held bilateral talks on India-Iran ties and West Asia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was photographed walking hand-in-hand with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi on Friday, an image that drew attention to India's positioning amid a fractured global order.
Modi led the Iranian President into the venue at Bharat Mandapam, holding his hand, while Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa walked alongside them. The moment was seen as reflecting both the warmth in India-Iran ties and a sense of solidarity among leaders of the expanded grouping, who had gathered to discuss cooperation in trade, investment, innovation and global development.
The visit is Pezeshkian's first to India as President. It comes amid the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, even as Washington and New Delhi remain strategic partners. The photograph was read as capturing India's effort to keep channels open with Iran and Russia while sustaining its partnerships with the United States and other Western powers, against the backdrop of the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.
Later in the day, Modi held bilateral talks with the Iranian President. The two leaders, meeting for the second time in under two weeks, discussed India-Iran relations, with the wider situation in West Asia taking centre stage. India has consistently projected dialogue and diplomacy as the route to a lasting solution to the Middle East crisis, and has flagged energy security as a key concern while calling for safe passage for vessels carrying supplies.
In a social media post after the meeting, Modi said Pezeshkian's trip was "more special because it is his first visit" to the country. "We talked about the India-Iran friendship. We believe that we should move forward with a long-term and win-win strategy," he said, adding that the prevailing situation in the region was also discussed and that India remains steadfast in its commitment to the pursuit of enduring peace.