{"id":130673,"date":"2026-03-21T18:57:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T21:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/900962760"},"modified":"2026-03-21T18:57:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T21:57:48","slug":"pm-modi-condemns-attacks-in-west-asia-seeks-open-shipping-lanes-in-call-with-iran-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/21\/pm-modi-condemns-attacks-in-west-asia-seeks-open-shipping-lanes-in-call-with-iran-president\/","title":{"rendered":"PM Modi condemns attacks in West Asia, seeks open shipping lanes in call with Iran President"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in West Asia that disrupt supply chains and called for keeping shipping lanes open during a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, as part of outreach to regional leaders to address escalating tensions and ensure India\u2019s energy security.<\/p>\n

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, as part of outreach to regional leaders to address escalating tensions and ensure India\u2019s energy security.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Pezeshkian referred to India\u2019s presidency of BRICS and called for the grouping to play an \u201cindependent role\u201d in halting aggression against Iran and in safeguarding regional peace, according to an Iranian readout of the call. He said the \u201cimmediate cessation of aggressions by the US and Israel\u201d is a prerequisite for ending the war in the region.<\/p>\n

This was the second phone conversation between the two leaders since Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a conflict that has escalated in recent days with tit-for-tat strikes on oil and gas infrastructure, with ramifications for energy-importing countries such as India.<\/p>\n

Modi focused on India\u2019s key concerns\u2014the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupting merchant shipping, attacks on energy infrastructure affecting supplies, and the safety of 10 million Indians in West Asia\u2014during the conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCondemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains,\u201d Modi said on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cReiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Modi appreciated Tehran\u2019s support for the safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran. He also conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings to Pezeshkian. \u201cWe expressed hope that this festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia,\u201d Modi said.<\/p>\n

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Araghchi\u2014their fifth phone call since the start of the conflict\u2014and discussed the latest developments and their regional implications.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian reiterated Iran\u2019s call for BRICS to play a role in condemning Israeli and US attacks on Iran and in finding ways to de-escalate the situation and end the conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cReferring to India\u2019s rotating presidency of BRICS, Pezeshkian called for the group to play an independent role in halting aggressions against Iran and in safeguarding regional and international peace and stability,\u201d the Iranian readout said.<\/p>\n

Indian officials have acknowledged difficulties in forging a common position on the West Asia situation within BRICS, which works on the principle of unanimity or consensus, as several member states are involved in the conflict.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian, according to the readout, described the \u201cimmediate cessation of aggressions by the US and Israel\u201d and \u201cguarantees against their recurrence in the future\u201d as a prerequisite for ending the war in the region.<\/p>\n

He proposed the establishment of a \u201cregional security framework composed of countries of West Asia\u201d to ensure peace and stability through regional cooperation \u201cwithout foreign interference\u201d. Pezeshkian also signalled Iran\u2019s readiness to engage in telephone and in-person dialogues with world leaders, including on the margins of the UN, for \u201cverification and acceptance of oversight over its peaceful nuclear activities\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Iranian readout quoted Modi as referring to his consultations with various world leaders and emphasising that all parties should move toward peace as soon as possible, since \u201cchoosing the path of war is in no one\u2019s interest\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian reiterated concerns raised by Iran\u2019s leadership in recent days, including that Israel and the US launched attacks during ongoing negotiations on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, for which Tehran had made several proposals. He also referred to an attack on a girls\u2019 school on the first day of hostilities that killed nearly 170 people, most of them children, and said \u201cthe US targeted the school in Minab from bases located in neighbouring countries hosting US military installations\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian\u2019s comments reiterated Tehran\u2019s stance that its military is targeting military and other critical facilities in neighbouring countries that host US forces.<\/p>\n

He emphasised that Iran did not initiate the war, and said Israel and the US launched military attacks \u201cwithout any justification, logic or legal basis\u2026 during ongoing nuclear negotiations\u201d, resulting in the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and civilians.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian rejected US President Donald Trump\u2019s claims that the military action was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and said Khamenei had, in multiple meetings, \u201cfirmly opposed nuclear weapons\u201d and issued directives prohibiting their development.<\/p>\n

He dismissed US allegations portraying Iran as a source of instability in the region and said Israel \u201ccarries out attacks and assassinations in Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, and elsewhere\u201d, fuelling \u201cunrest and conflict across the region\u201d.<\/p>\n

The last round of calls between Modi and Pezeshkian, and Jaishankar and Araghchi, was followed by Tehran permitting two Indian-flagged LPG tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz. India\u2019s recent efforts have focused on securing safe passage for 22 Indian-flagged vessels\u2014including six LPG carriers, an LNG carrier and four crude tankers\u2014carrying 320,000 metric tonnes of LPG, 200,000 metric tonnes of LNG and 1.67 million metric tonnes of crude oil that are currently located west of the strait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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