Iran Looks to India as a Trade Hub Ahead of the BRICS Summit

In the run‑up to the BRICS gathering in New Delhi, Iran’s diplomats are flashing a familiar sign: India is a strategic partner worth courting. The foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, told reporters that Tehran sees the summit as a chance to tighten the economic and diplomatic knot with its South‑Asian neighbour.

Baghaei pointed to the recent tête‑à‑tête between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek. “Our ties with India run deep – they are historic, civilisational and very much alive today,” he said, echoing a post the Iranian embassy shared on X.

As the two‑day BRICS meet approaches on September 12‑13, the Iranians are hoping the multilateral setting will act as a catalyst. “We will certainly use the opportunity to continue our discussions and consultations with India on issues of mutual interest,” Baghaei added, hinting at a broader agenda that goes beyond mere formalities.

Among the topics that keep popping up in Tehran‑New Delhi talks is the Chabahar port – a deep‑water harbour on Iran’s Gulf of Oman coast that India has helped develop. Both sides view it as a linchpin for connectivity, especially for trade routes that bypass the Persian Gulf’s bottlenecks. Baghaei stressed that “connectivity and logistics infrastructure” are top priorities for both countries.

Modi, for his part, welcomed Pezeshkian’s forthcoming visit. In a short note on X, he said India remains committed to “expanding and diversifying” its trade basket with Iran, while also underscoring the need for regional peace and stable maritime navigation. The Indian foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, described the Bishkek meeting as “fruitful”, noting that the leaders reviewed developments in West Asia and reaffirmed a shared preference for dialogue over confrontation.

Senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, also participated in the discussions, signalling that the talks were not just a diplomatic courtesy but a concrete step toward deeper cooperation. All this unfolds against a backdrop of lingering tensions in West Asia, which continue to affect shipping lanes and trade flows.

Whether the BRICS summit will translate into concrete projects remains to be seen, but the diplomatic choreography suggests both Tehran and New Delhi are eager to turn talk into tangible trade, with Chabahar as a possible centerpiece.