Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country will not surrender, adding that it has resisted aggression from the U.S. and Israel.
“Iran has successfully stood against Israel and the U.S.,” Pezeshkian said late Friday as he addressed a gathering of Indian religious leaders in New Delhi. “Since we are seeking truth and justice, we will not yield in front of bullying arrogance.”
Pezeshkian’s comments ahead of the BRICS Summit in India over the weekend came on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran would have wiped out Israel and the Middle East, and started hitting U.S. cities, if Washington had not taken military action against Iran.
“If I had it to do again, I would do exactly what I did,” Trump said on Thursday.
Pezeshkian, who is on his first visit to India, also met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. During the bilateral meeting, Modi raised concerns about the safety of seafarers and underscored the need for peace and for freedom of navigation and commerce.
Shipments of oil and other cargoes through the critical Strait of Hormuz separating Iran and Oman have slowed to a trickle since the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran on Feb. 28, stranding ships and seafarers for weeks or months at a time.
The Indian prime minister reiterated his appeal to resolve the conflict in the Middle East with “dialogue and diplomacy.”
Global crude oil prices have surged in response to a sharp escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran this month. Rising energy prices are a major concern for countries like India that are major energy importers.
India, the world’s fastest-growing major economy, is among the countries most vulnerable to the supply disruptions caused by the war. The South Asian country imports nearly 85% of its fuel needs and relies on the energy supply chain through the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict in the Middle East has affected many Indian crews. In July, two vessels carrying a total of 30 Indian seafarers were attacked while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. As per the Indian government, 10 seafarers have lost their lives due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Modi and Pezeshkian were photographed warmly holding hands as they exited the BRICS Business Forum on Friday.
“When the leaders of two great nations join hands, they remind us of the historic friendship between two great civilizations,” the Iranian embassy in India posted on X, hailing the friendship between the two countries.
