Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed regional peace, bilateral relations, and cooperation within BRICS during a telephone conversation on Tuesday.

According to Press TV, during the phone call, Pezeshkian said Iran and India have a deep and rich history of respectful bilateral relations, adding that the two countries can use their vast capacities to expand their relations in the future.

The Iranian president also praised India for “successful planning and organization” of a recent meeting of energy ministers of the BRICS developing nations.

The meeting held last week allowed Iran and India to discuss an expansion in energy ties, especially with regard to Iran’s exports of oil and petroleum products, amid a brief waiver of US sanctions on Iranian oil sales that has been enabled by a recent agreement between Iran and the US.

Pezeshkian told Modi that Iran will stick to its commitments under the memorandum of understanding signed with the US in mid-June, on the condition that the US also keeps its obligations under the agreement.

He said, however, that regional and international powers have a duty to prevent any repetition of the US-Israeli aggression on Iran that endangered shipping routes in the Persian Gulf during the aggression in March and April.

“The international community must work toward consolidating this process, so that aggression and the use of force find no place in international relations,” the Iranian president said.

Modi, for his part, said New Delhi supports any initiative that brings about peace and stability to the West Asia region.

He offered his condolences on the martyrdom of the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and some other senior Iranian officials during the US-Israeli aggression, adding that India would dispatch a special delegation to attend the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Khamenei next week.

Modi also invited Pezeshkian for a summit of BRICS leaders in India planned for mid-May. 

DID