Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day and told PM Modi that there must be an “immediate halt” to what he called US-Israeli “aggression” to end the conflict, the Iranian Embassy in India said in a post on Saturday X. He urged the BRICS grouping of major emerging economies to take an independent role in helping to stop attacks on Tehran.
“He emphasized that the prerequisite for ending war and conflict in the region is the immediate cessation of aggression by the US and Israel, along with guarantees against their recurrence in the future,” the embassy said.
In an X post earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi said he had condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the Middle East during his conversation with Pezeshkian. However, there was no mention of BRICS. He also stressed the importance of protecting freedom of navigation and maintaining open and safe shipping lanes during the Strait of Hormuz disruption.
Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar noted that the grouping was part of recent discussions with Tehran. He mentioned that he had spoken to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi by phone. “I had another conversation with Iranian FM @araghchi last night. He discussed bilateral issues as well as BRICS issues,” he mentioned.
What did Pezeshkian say?
Pezeshkian stressed that Iran did not start the conflict, the embassy said, adding that the attacks were unprovoked, lacked any justification or legal basis and occurred during ongoing nuclear talks, resulting in the deaths of the Islamic Revolution’s supreme leader, senior military officials and many civilians, including schoolchildren, along with damage to public infrastructure.
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Pezeshkian also noted that the US had struck a school in Minab from military bases in neighboring countries, causing the tragic deaths of 168 innocent schoolchildren, the embassy continued.
According to the embassy, President Pezeshkian rejected claims by the US president that the military actions were aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He stressed that in numerous meetings with the Supreme Leader, the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution consistently opposed nuclear weapons and issued both administrative and religious instructions prohibiting any steps to develop them.
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“He also rejected US accusations portraying Iran as a source of instability and tension in the region, claiming instead that it is Israel that carries out attacks and assassinations in Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Qatar and elsewhere, which it justifies under the pretext of maintaining security and peace, while in fact inciting unrest and conflict throughout the region,” the ambassador said.
The embassy said the president reaffirmed Iran’s continued willingness to hold phone and face-to-face talks with world leaders, including on the sidelines of the United Nations, to allow verification and oversight of its peaceful nuclear program.
He also mentioned that he criticized the actions of the US and Israel against Iran as deeply “inhumane and unethical” and expressed strong condemnation. She further stated that the President also proposed the creation of a regional security framework involving West Asian countries aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region through local cooperation without external interference.
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The ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran began on February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites as part of Operation Epic Fury. These attacks resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with senior military commanders.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities, US bases in the Persian Gulf and allied states, escalating the regional confrontation. The conflict has caused significant military and civilian casualties, disrupted key shipping lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz, and prompted international calls for de-escalation.
