An Invitation With A Message: What Iran’s Outreach To Modi Means
New Delhi: The reported invitation from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the burial ceremonies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei carries significance that extends well beyond diplomatic protocol.“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is learnt to have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the burial ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,” PTI news agency reported Wednesday citing diplomatic sources. “The funeral ceremonies will be held from July 5 to 9.”
The report comes two days after National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval’s meeting with Ghadir Nezamipour, Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) of Iran, ahead of the 16th BRICS NSAs Meeting held in New Delhi on June 23.
It remains to be seen whether Modi can make a trip to Iran given that he will be embarking for Indonesia on July 6 on the first leg of his three-nation visit to Southeast Asia and Oceania.However, the reported invitation would be far more than a gesture of diplomatic courtesy. Coming barely four months after the US and Israel launched a military campaign that led to the death of Iran’s long-serving Supreme Leader and reshaped the strategic landscape of West Asia, the outreach appears to underscore Tehran’s view of India as an important regional actor capable of maintaining engagement across rival geopolitical camps. Whether or not Modi is able to attend, the invitation itself sends a message about Iran’s expectations of India’s role in the region’s emerging post-war order.
The report comes two days after National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval’s meeting with Ghadir Nezamipour, Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) of Iran, ahead of the 16th BRICS NSAs Meeting held in New Delhi on June 23.
It remains to be seen whether Modi can make a trip to Iran given that he will be embarking for Indonesia on July 6 on the first leg of his three-nation visit to Southeast Asia and Oceania.However, the reported invitation would be far more than a gesture of diplomatic courtesy. Coming barely four months after the US and Israel launched a military campaign that led to the death of Iran’s long-serving Supreme Leader and reshaped the strategic landscape of West Asia, the outreach appears to underscore Tehran’s view of India as an important regional actor capable of maintaining engagement across rival geopolitical camps. Whether or not Modi is able to attend, the invitation itself sends a message about Iran’s expectations of India’s role in the region’s emerging post-war order.