Modi ramps up diplomacy on Iran war: Following the strikes on the regional energy infrastructure, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to keep maritime routes open, warning that disruptions could threaten global food and energy security, according to a post on X. He stressed the need to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while condemning attacks on critical infrastructure that risk destabilizing the region and disrupting supply chains.

Tehran’s stance hardens: Iran, meanwhile, maintained that shipping restrictions are a response to US-Israeli aggression, with President Pezeshkian urging an immediate halt to hostilities as a precondition for restoring normalcy, according to a statement by the Iranian embassy in India. Tehran has signalled that passage through Hormuz remains conditional, allowing movement for select countries while tightening controls on vessels linked to adversaries.

Pezeshkian called for India to use its presidency of Brics “to play an independent role in halting aggressions against Iran and in safeguarding regional and international peace and stability.” This comes as Brics fails to take a clear stance on the Iran war amid growing divergence among its members.

What changed? Prime Minister Modi has escalated direct diplomatic efforts with Tehran, making his second call to President Pezeshkian in 10 days to demand the protection of “critical infrastructure” and shipping lanes. India’s foreign minister has also held multiple phone calls with his predecessor since the war began.

Why it matters: GCC’s is the anchor energy supplier for India. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have already begun to ripple across industries, with exporters facing cargo backlogs and rising logistics costs, while energy and fertilizer supply chains come under strain. India’s outreach to Iran has yielded limited success in securing the passage of its energy imports from the Gulf.

Wider outreach: India has also widened its diplomatic engagement with key partners as the fallout from the war on the Indian economy increases. In the last few days, Modi held phone conversations with the leaders of France, Malaysia, Oman, Jordan, and Qatar to push for de-escalation in the conflict. The discussions focused on maintaining secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz and condemning attacks on critical energy infrastructure.

Our take: Tehran’s statement highlights that India’s balancing act between Iran, GCC nations, and Israel is becoming increasingly difficult. India requires an arrangement with Iran to allow the passage of critical energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, but remains reluctant to extend any diplomatic support to Tehran. Meanwhile, attacks by both Israel and Iran on critical energy infrastructure threaten long-term economic consequences for India — New Delhi has little leverage over either side to stop these attacks. Concerned about his country’s energy security, Modi is expanding his diplomatic outreach to create a broader coalition of economically affected countries to influence the US, Israel, and Iran toward a de-escalation.

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