Iran13 October, 20262 min read
Ajit Doval Calls Mohsen Rezaei To Discuss Regional Tensions And Bilateral Issues
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Doval spoke by phone with Mohsen Rezaei on regional tensions and bilateral ties. They discussed regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest.
Doval-Rezaei Call
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a telephone conversation with Iran’s security council chief Mohsen Rezaei on regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest, with the Iranian embassy saying the exchange took place on Monday. Ajit Doval and Mohsen Rezaei discussed “the latest regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest to the two countries,” according to the Iranian embassy’s social media post.
Hindustan Times said India urged for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict while opposing all attacks on merchant shipping and civilian infrastructure. The conversation came two days after an Indian national was killed and 10 others injured in an attack on the international airport in Riyadh by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and a day after attacks on two merchant vessels with Indian crew members near the Strait of Hormuz.
No Details, More Context
There was no readout on the conversation from the Indian side, while the Iranian embassy did not give details on social media. The exchange covered issues of mutual interest to India and Iran, but the statement issued by the embassy did not provide further details about the specific issues discussed.
Iran has maintained that the waterway will not reopen until Washington addresses its conditions for ending the conflict, and Rezaei described the US response as “insufficient”. Tensions escalated between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, with strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killing civilians, injuring dozens, and forcing the airport to suspend operations until October 17.
Navigation and Stakes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian to resolve the West Asia conflict through dialogue, and Modi sought continued efforts to ensure freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers. The Indian side has grappled with balancing historic ties with Iran and expressions of solidarity with Gulf Arab states, which it said have repeatedly been targeted by the Iranian military for housing US military bases.
Developments in West Asia carry economic and strategic implications for India, and disruptions to shipping routes and energy supplies could affect oil prices and transport costs. Two Indian seafarers were reported missing after a drone attack on MT Petrol Dolphin, and eleven seafarers are among the 18 Indians killed so far in the West Asia conflict triggered by attacks by Israel and the US on Iran in February.