The meeting between Jaishankar and Araghchi assumes significance at a time when regional instability, sanctions-related tensions and shifting global alliances are reshaping diplomatic equations across Asia and the Middle East.
Amid rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia and growing global polarisation, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi held a crucial bilateral meeting on Friday, on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
The high-level engagement comes as India hosts the two-day BRICS ministerial gathering on May 14 and 15, with New Delhi positioning the bloc as an increasingly influential platform for strategic coordination, diplomacy and crisis management amid the rapidly evolving situation in West Asia.
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#WATCH | Delhi: EAM Dr S Jaishankar meets Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. pic.twitter.com/odaG7PRBBU
— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2026
The meeting between Jaishankar and Araghchi assumes significance at a time when regional instability, sanctions-related tensions and shifting global alliances are reshaping diplomatic equations across Asia and the Middle East.
Had a detailed conversation with FM Abbas Araghchi of Iran this morning in Delhi. @araghchi
Discussed the situation in West Asia and its implications. Also exchanged views on bilateral issues of mutual interest.
Appreciate his participation in #BRICSIndia2026.
🇮🇳 🇮🇷 pic.twitter.com/1eCdnQ8igK
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 15, 2026
A day earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi in New Delhi, signalling a renewed push to deepen bilateral engagement between the two countries.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and highlighted the strategic importance both nations attach to maintaining close diplomatic coordination amid regional uncertainty.
The Iranian Embassy in India confirmed the meeting in a post on X, describing it as a significant diplomatic interaction between the leadership of the two countries.
India and Iran share longstanding civilisational ties and cooperate across sectors including connectivity, energy, trade and regional security.
H.E. Dr. Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, met with His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. pic.twitter.com/moB6vVnQDp
— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) May 14, 2026
Addressing the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Araghchi launched a sharp attack on Washington’s policies, urging countries to unite against what he described as American “bullying” and coercive practices.
The Iranian Foreign Minister said many nations represented at the gathering had faced similar forms of external pressure and called for a collective response from BRICS members.
“To virtually everyone in this room, our resistance against US bullying is not an unfamiliar battle,” Araghchi said during his address.
He argued that such practices should be consigned to the “dustbin of history” and warned that declining global powers often become more aggressive in an attempt to maintain dominance.
“History has shown that empires in decline will stop at nothing to arrest their inevitable fates. A wounded animal will desperately claw and roar on its way down,” he added.
#WATCH | Delhi: At BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says, “To virtually everyone in this room, our resistance against US bullying is not an unfamiliar battle. So many of us encounter slight variations of the same repugnant coercion. It is… pic.twitter.com/U5Yit7wlSF
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2026
The remarks come as top diplomats from key global powers gather in New Delhi at a time of mounting instability across several regions, including West Asia, Eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
The BRICS grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with newly inducted members, has increasingly projected itself as a counterweight to Western-led geopolitical and economic structures.
For India, the summit also offers an opportunity to reinforce its role as a bridge between competing global powers while advancing dialogue on security, trade and strategic cooperation.
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