Iran president Pezeshkian briefs PM Modi on Middle East tensions, way forward

India's Prime Minister and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephonic conversation amid heightened tensions in West Asia. Iran's President briefed...

What Happened

India's Prime Minister and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephonic conversation amid heightened tensions in West Asia.
Iran's President briefed India on the evolving crisis in the Middle East and the progress in diplomatic negotiations toward de-escalation.
India reiterated its position welcoming dialogue and diplomacy as the path to regional peace and stability, avoiding any alignment with any belligerent party.
India specifically highlighted the critical importance of maintaining freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring its significance for global commerce and India's energy security.
The call reflects India's longstanding approach of engaging all parties in West Asian conflicts while protecting its core strategic and economic interests.

Static Topic Bridges

India-Iran Bilateral Relations: Strategic Interests and Institutional Mechanisms

India and Iran established formal diplomatic relations in 1950. Despite periodic tensions arising from Iran's international isolation under Western sanctions, India has maintained substantive engagement with Iran due to overlapping strategic interests: energy access, connectivity to Central Asia and Afghanistan, and opposition to unilateralism in international affairs.

Diplomatic relations established: 1950
India has historically been one of Iran's largest oil customers; energy trade has been disrupted by US sanctions
Key institutional linkages: Chabahar Port Agreement (Long-Term Contract signed May 2024 for 10 years), International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
India's strategic doctrine frames Iran as part of its "extended neighbourhood" under the Connect Central Asia policy
Iran is a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO); India is also a full member since 2017

Connection to this news: India's engagement with Iran during the West Asia crisis reflects the imperative to protect the Chabahar port operations and INSTC connectivity, both of which would be jeopardised by regional escalation.

Chabahar Port and INSTC: India's Connectivity Architecture

Chabahar Port, located in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province on the Gulf of Oman, is Iran's only oceanic port with direct Indian Ocean access. India has invested in and operates the Shahid Beheshti terminal. The port is India's primary gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. It is also a key node of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal network connecting South Asia with Central Asia, Russia, and Europe.

Chabahar Port Long-Term Agreement: signed May 13, 2024 (10-year contract for Shahid Beheshti terminal)
INSTC: conceived in 2000 by India, Iran, and Russia; multi-modal corridor linking Mumbai to Moscow via Iran
INSTC expected to reduce transit time by ~40% and costs by ~30% compared to Suez Canal route
US sanctions have complicated India's investment in Chabahar; the Trump administration announced revoking all exemptions in late 2025, with an extension secured until April 2026
The corridor provides India with a non-China, non-Pakistan route to Central Asia and Europe

Connection to this news: Regional instability in West Asia directly threatens both Chabahar operations and the INSTC route. India's diplomatic outreach to Iran is partly aimed at safeguarding these connectivity projects.

Strait of Hormuz: Strategic Chokepoint and International Maritime Law

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between the Omani peninsula and Iran, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, through which approximately 20–21 million barrels of oil per day pass — roughly one-fifth of global oil trade and one-third of internationally traded liquefied natural gas (LNG). India's energy security is directly linked to the free flow of traffic through this strait.

Location: between Oman and Iran; minimum navigable width approximately 3.2 km per lane (two lanes)
Daily transit: approximately 20–21 million barrels of crude oil and oil products (around 25% of global seaborne oil trade)
Also transits approximately one-third of global LNG trade
Legal framework: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Articles 37–44 govern "transit passage" through international straits
Under UNCLOS, all ships and aircraft have a right of transit passage which "shall not be impeded" and cannot be suspended
Shipping lanes are located primarily in Omani territorial waters and partially in Iranian territorial waters, but governed by international maritime law
US Navy has maintained a Freedom of Navigation programme in the region since 1979

Connection to this news: India's emphasis on freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in the call with the Iranian President is a direct assertion of international law (UNCLOS transit passage rights) and a signal of India's stake in keeping the key energy corridor open regardless of the political conflict.

India's Strategic Autonomy in West Asian Conflicts

India's approach to West Asian conflicts is characterised by strategic autonomy — maintaining independent relations with all parties (Israel, Iran, Arab states, the US) rather than aligning with any bloc. This is a continuation of India's Non-Aligned tradition and its hedging strategy in a multipolar world. India is a major oil importer from the Gulf, hosts approximately 9 million workers in the region, and receives significant remittances.

India has trade, energy, and diaspora stakes with all major West Asian actors
Indian diaspora in West Asia: approximately 9 million (largest overseas Indian community)
Remittances from West Asia constitute a significant share of India's total remittance inflows (~USD 125 billion total remittances in 2023)
India abstains or adopts balanced positions on UN resolutions related to Middle East conflicts to preserve diplomatic space
India's "S-400 precedent" (buying Russian arms despite US pressure) and its Chabahar engagement (despite Iran sanctions) illustrate strategic autonomy in practice

Connection to this news: India's call for dialogue and its emphasis on freedom of navigation — without explicitly taking sides in the Iran-related tensions — reflects its strategic autonomy doctrine, balancing its relationship with Iran against its broader partnerships with the US and Gulf Arab states.

Key Facts & Data

Strait of Hormuz: approximately 20–21 million barrels of oil per day transit (c. 25% of global seaborne oil)
One-third of global LNG trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz
UNCLOS Articles 37–44: govern transit passage through international straits; passage cannot be suspended
Chabahar 10-year long-term contract: signed May 13, 2024
INSTC: conceived 2000 by India, Iran, Russia; reduces transit time ~40% and costs ~30% vs Suez route
India-Iran diplomatic relations: established 1950
India joined SCO as full member in 2017; Iran is also a full SCO member
Indian diaspora in West Asia: approximately 9 million workers