New Delhi, March 21 In a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in West Asia and called for keeping the critical shipping lanes "open and secure", amid major disruption in global energy supplies due to Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Significantly, the Iranian president proposed setting up a regional security framework comprising West Asian countries to bring peace and stability in the region "without foreign interference," according to an Iranian readout of the talks.
Pezeshkian also urged India, as the current BRICS chair, to leverage its "independent role" to halt the US-Israel hostilities against Iran.
According to the readout, the president rejected Washington's claims that the US launched the military offensive against Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Pezeshkian also stressed that late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "firmly opposed" nuclear weapons and had issued both administrative and religious directives prohibiting any move toward their development, it said.
Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi and discussed the conflict in West Asia and its implications for the larger region.
In a post on 'X', Modi said he conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings to Pezeshkian and expressed hope that the festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia.
"Condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains. Reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure," the prime minister said.
"Appreciated Iran's continued support for the safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran," he said.
This is the second phone conversation between Modi and Pezeshkian in the last 10 days.
The talks between the two leaders came against the backdrop of increasing global concerns over fresh attacks on West Asian gas hubs.
The president reiterated Iran's consistent readiness to engage in dialogues with world leaders, including on the sidelines of the United Nations, for "verification and oversight" of Tehran's peaceful nuclear activities, Tehran said in the readout.
He described the "actions" of the US and Israel against Iran as "profoundly inhumane and unethical, and strongly condemned them", it said.
"The president also proposed the establishment of a regional security framework composed of countries of West Asia, aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region through regional cooperation without foreign interference," it said.
"He further underscored that a prerequisite for ending the war and conflict in the region is the immediate cessation of aggressions by the US and Israel," it said.
Referring to India's presidency of BRICS, Pezeshkian called for the group to play an independent role in halting aggressions against Iran and in safeguarding regional and international peace and stability, the readout said.
The Iranian readout said PM Modi emphasised the importance of ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz and the freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf.
"In this context, referring to his consultations and discussions with various world leaders, PM Modi emphasised that choosing the path of war is in no one's interest; therefore, all parties should move toward peace as soon as possible," it said.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
West Asia has been a major source of India's energy procurement.
The Iranian readout said Pezeshkian also dismissed the US's allegations portraying Iran as a "source of instability" in the region, asserting that "it is Israel that carries out attacks and assassinations in Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Qatar", justifying such actions "under the pretext of maintaining security and peace".
"President Pezeshkian further stated that the US targeted the school in Minab from bases located in neighbouring countries hosting US military installations, leading to the tragic martyrdom of 168 innocent schoolchildren," it noted.
As concerns mounted over the escalating situation in West Asia, PM Modi spoke to a number of leaders in the last couple of days, including Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the Jordanian King, French President Emmanuel Macron and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.