India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday held bilateral talks with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, with discussions focused on the evolving situation in West Asia and its wider global impact.
In a post on X after the meeting, Jaishankar said he had a “detailed conversation” with his Iranian counterpart during the morning interaction in the national capital.
“Had a detailed conversation with FM Abbas Araghchi of Iran this morning in Delhi,” Jaishankar said.
He added that the two leaders reviewed the situation in West Asia and discussed its implications, apart from bilateral issues concerning both countries.
“Discussed the situation in West Asia and its implications. Also exchanged views on bilateral issues of mutual interest,” the statement added. Jaishankar also welcomed Araghchi’s participation in the BRICS gathering hosted by India.
“Appreciate his participation in BRICS India 2026,” he added.
Modi also met Iranian foreign minister
The Jaishankar-Araghchi meeting came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Iranian foreign minister on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The interaction is being seen as part of efforts by both countries to maintain diplomatic engagement amid rising tensions and instability in West Asia.
India is hosting the two-day BRICS ministerial meeting on May 14 and 15 in New Delhi, bringing together key foreign ministers at a time when geopolitical tensions in the region continue to dominate global discussions.
Araghchi attacks ‘US bullying’ at BRICS meet
Meanwhile, Araghchi used his address at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting to call for stronger collective resistance against what he described as American coercion and pressure tactics.
Addressing the gathering, the Iranian foreign minister said several countries represented at the summit had faced similar forms of external pressure.
“To virtually everyone in this room, our resistance against US bullying is not an unfamiliar battle. So many of us encounter slight variations of the same repugnant coercion. It is high time for us to jointly step up and work towards making clear that those practices belong in the dustbin of history,” he said.
Araghchi also warned about what he described as the dangers posed by declining global powers trying to maintain dominance.
“Today, our nations are closer to one another than ever before, and we cannot ignore the common and dangerous challenge we all face. History has shown that empires in decline will stop at nothing to arrest their inevitable fates. A wounded animal will desperately claw and roar on its way down,” he added.
His remarks came as foreign ministers and senior officials from BRICS nations gathered in New Delhi for the high-level talks, with the grouping increasingly positioning itself as a major platform for coordination on global political and security issues, including the volatile situation in West Asia.
(With ANI inputs)
