Iran's Pezeshkian backs deeper ties with India, invites investment in Chabahar
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has backed a deeper economic partnership with India, saying Tehran is ready to expand cooperation with New Delhi and that India can increase its investment in the strategically important Chabahar port.
In an exclusive interview with Group Foreign Affairs Editor Geeta Mohan, Pezeshkian said India and Iran have a long-standing relationship rooted in their shared history and culture and that bilateral ties have been improving since he took office.
"Our relation with the Honorable Prime Minister of India... is increasingly getting better on a daily basis," Pezeshkian said, adding that the two countries should build a new structure for their relationship based on their deep cultural ties.
His comments came after his bilateral meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
Pezeshkian said Chabahar was among the areas where India could expand its engagement with Iran. Asked whether the port and Indian investments there were discussed during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the two sides had discussed various areas of cooperation.
"India can invest there. Currently, it has some investments, and it is underway," he said. He added that India could also enter into partnerships in trade and other areas.
The Iranian president described his country as a key geographical crossroads for regional connectivity, saying Iran can connect north with south and east with west.
He said the route had historically played an important role in connecting civilisations through the Silk Road and argued that Iran and India could work together to revive such connectivity.
Pezeshkian also addressed India's concerns over the security of its seafarers and vessels amid the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
Asked whether he had given PM Modi assurances regarding Indian seafarers and ships passing through the strategic waterway, Pezeshkian said Iran was negotiating with Oman on a maritime framework. He said the waterway could be opened under internationally established principles, subject to the US ending its blockade and related activities.
The comments are significant for India, which has strategic and economic interests in both Chabahar and the wider regional connectivity network.
Pezeshkian also positioned BRICS as an important platform for expanding economic cooperation despite US sanctions. He said Iran wanted to deepen its relationship with India, alongside its ties with China and Russia, and reduce the impact of unilateral sanctions on trade.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Sep 12, 2026 20:15 IST
