Modi speaks with Iran’s Pezeshkian: ‘Deep concern over escalation, loss of lives’

3 min readMar 13, 2026 01:16 AM IST First published on: Mar 13, 2026 at 12:01 AM IST

In their conversation, he also flagged the security of Indian nationals and the movement of maritime traffic – fuel ships bound for India are stuck in the Persian Gulf following Tehran’s closure of the key Strait of Hormuz.

Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region.

Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.

The safety and security of…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2026 

“The safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India’s top priorities,” Modi said.

There are about 9,000 Indians in Iran and some of them have been moved to Armenia and Azerbaijan. On Wednesday, India “deplored” the attack by suspected Iranian fighters on an India-bound ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

A PMO statement said “President Pezeshkian briefed the Prime Minister on the current situation in Iran and shared his perspective on recent developments in the region”. The two leaders “agreed to remain in touch,” it said.

Ever since hostilities commenced, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has had three conversations with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi – on February 28, March 5 and March 12.

On Monday, Jaishankar informed Parliament that while attempts have been made, “contacts with Iran at the leadership level are obviously difficult at this time”, and that they will continue these “high-level conversations in the coming days”.

So far, the Prime Minister has spoken to eight leaders in the region: UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Kuwait Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Jordan King Abdullah II and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He had condemned the attacks by Iran on these countries.

The Modi-Pezeshkian phone call took place on the day India co-sponsored a resolution at the UN Security Council that called for condemnation of strikes by Iran on the Gulf countries.