Iran Alleges U.S.-Israel Aggression in Modi Call, India Pushes De-Escalation and Navigation Security as FMs Also Speak
Iran on Saturday used its highest-level engagement with India to sharply frame the ongoing war as “unlawful aggression” by the United States and Israel, with President Masoud Pezeshkian telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Iran “did not initiate the war” and that attacks were carried out “without any justification, logic, or legal basis,” even as Modi condemned strikes on energy infrastructure, stressed freedom of navigation, and called for an early return to peace through dialogue.
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| File Photo of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; Via: ShaykhSulaiman |
He rejected U.S. assertions that the campaign was aimed at preventing nuclear weaponisation, stating that Iran’s leadership had “firmly opposed nuclear weapons” and had issued directives prohibiting their development, while accusing Israel of “fueling unrest and conflict across the region” through attacks across multiple countries.
The Iranian president also proposed a “regional security framework” led by West Asian countries without foreign involvement, and said that ending the war would require the “immediate cessation of aggressions” by the U.S. and Israel along with guarantees against their recurrence. He further urged India, as BRICS president, to play an “independent role” in halting the attacks and stabilising the region.
In his response, according to the official Iranian readout, Modi reiterated India’s consistent position, conveying Eid and Nowruz greetings while expressing “deep concern over the escalation,” condemning “attacks on energy infrastructure,” and warning that such actions threaten “global food and energy security.”
He emphasized the need to ensure the “security of the Strait of Hormuz” and “freedom of navigation,” and said that “choosing the path of war is in no one’s interest,” urging all sides to move toward peace.
The leader-level exchange was reinforced by parallel diplomatic engagement at the foreign minister level. India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss “latest developments regarding the conflict and its implications for the larger region,” while the Iranian side reiterated that the situation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz was a consequence of “hostile and aggressive actions” by the U.S. and Israel and stressed that normalization depends on “cessation of attacks” and guarantees against future violations.
Jaishankar, according to both sides, emphasized the importance of restoring “stability and security in the region” and continuing bilateral engagement, with both countries agreeing to maintain ongoing consultations and coordination.
In an earlier conversation on March 13, Modi had already conveyed to President Pezeshkian that India was “deeply concerned” about the “escalation of tensions,” the “loss of civilian lives” and “damage to civilian infrastructure,” while clearly stating that “the safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India’s top priorities,” even as he reiterated that the crisis must be resolved through “dialogue and diplomacy,” underscoring the continuity in India’s position as the conflict intensifies.
The conversation follows a similar diplomatic line articulated just a day earlier in Modi’s call with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, where both sides “condemned attacks on the energy and civilian infrastructure in the region” and warned of their “adverse impact on global food, fuel and fertilizer security,” while again underscoring the importance of “ensuring freedom of navigation and keeping shipping lines open and secure.”
This outreach builds on a broader diplomatic push already underway, where Modi has engaged multiple global leaders across regions to stress “dialogue and diplomacy,” condemn attacks on energy infrastructure, and back “safe and free navigation” through the Strait of Hormuz .
The urgency reflects a rapidly deteriorating ground reality where energy facilities across Iran and Qatar have been hit, LNG supplies disrupted, and shipping routes through Hormuz remain under pressure. These are directly affecting global trade and fuel flows.
The back-to-back engagements come as India continues a careful diplomatic approach of engaging all sides while focusing on energy security, safe navigation and the welfare of its nationals against a backdrop of escalating attacks on infrastructure, disruption of shipping routes through Hormuz, and mounting global economic risks tied to fuel, trade and supply chains.
In parallel, U.S. President Donald Trump has signalled that Washington is “very close” to achieving its war objectives, even as the U.S. Treasury has issued short-term sanctions waivers allowing previously loaded Russian and Iranian crude to reach markets, effectively creating limited compliance windows to prevent supply shocks as the conflict peaks.
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