PM Modi slams infrastructure attacks in phone call with Iran’s president, says waterways must remain open

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the second time since the start of military hostilities and reiterated the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and ensuring shipping lanes remain open and safe, as conflicts in West Asia threaten to engulf energy infrastructure and amid concerns over a possible LPG crisis at home. In a post on X, Modi said he also condemned attacks on critical infrastructure “in the region” that threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains. While Modi explicitly condemned violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of GCC countries, which are important for India’s energy and diaspora interests, he stopped short of condemning US and Israeli attacks on Iran. However, in his last conversation with Pezeshkian, Modi told him that India was a friend of Iran.

Pezeshkian also once again urged India, as the current chairman of the BRICS, to use its “independent role” to stop the hostile actions of the United States and Israel against Iran. According to the content of the talks with Iran, he further emphasized that the prerequisite for ending the war is that the United States and Israel immediately cease aggression and guarantee that aggression will not occur again in the future.Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss the conflict in West Asia and its impact on the larger region.The conflict escalated sharply this week, with Israel attacking Iran’s South Pars gas field and Tehran retaliating against Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, a global LNG hub. Modi has spoken to Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and leaders of other Gulf Cooperation Council countries to condemn attacks on the region’s energy infrastructure. Regarding attacks on energy facilities, the prime minister limited himself to condemning attacks “in the region” without naming any country.After the attack on natural gas fields, in addition to Qatar, Iran also targeted energy centers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The prime minister also sent Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz greetings to Pezeshkian on Saturday. “We express our hope that this festival will bring peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia and also thank Iran for ensuring the safety of Indian nationals,” he said.