Iran has described its relationship with India as "long-standing, historic and civilizational," ahead of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's upcoming visit to New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled for September 12–13. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei made the remarks during a press briefing on Monday, expressing optimism that the BRICS platform would help deepen bilateral trade and strategic cooperation between the two countries. India is hosting the summit under its 2026 chairship of the bloc, with the gathering held under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."

Baghaei referred to Pezeshkian's recent bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, held in late August and early September. The Iranian Embassy in India highlighted Baghaei's comments in a post on the social media platform X, quoting him as saying that Tehran's ties with New Delhi represent a "long-standing, historic and civilizational relationship" to which Iran attaches great importance. The spokesperson reaffirmed that Iran intends to use its diplomatic engagements in India, including the BRICS summit, to expand economic collaboration between the two nations.

Pezeshkian's visit to New Delhi will mark his first trip to India since assuming office and follows an earlier meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. Iran became a full member of BRICS in 2024, alongside Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining the following year to bring the bloc's total membership to eleven countries. The summit is expected to draw other major leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and will address a range of issues such as global governance reform, energy security, artificial intelligence, climate change and supply chain resilience.

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The Iranian president's visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia, and Tehran has previously urged BRICS members to adopt a stronger collective stance in support of Iran's sovereignty. India, for its part, has sought to position itself as a diplomatic bridge capable of engaging countries with divergent regional interests, including Iran, Russia, the United States, Israel and Gulf states. Analysts suggest that Pezeshkian's presence in New Delhi could offer both sides an opportunity to discuss connectivity projects, trade corridors and regional security beyond the summit's formal agenda.

Baghaei's remarks underscore Tehran's broader effort to reinforce diplomatic and economic ties with New Delhi at a moment when both countries face complex regional dynamics. With the summit expected to bring together a wide range of BRICS leaders under India's chairmanship, Pezeshkian's engagements in the capital are likely to be closely watched for signs of progress on long-discussed areas of cooperation, including trade facilitation and connectivity initiatives linked to Iran's Chabahar Port.

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