Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's representative, Dr Abdul Majid Hakeem Elahi, attended NDTV World Summit and said India was uniquely positioned to contribute to peacebuilding efforts in the Middle East.
"India can play a very good role in bringing peace, security and justice to the world -- and especially in the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf. It can play a very, very big role, and especially at this time, because India is the head of BRICS and hosted many leaders. Fortunately, it has a very big and heavy wisdom, and it can play a very big role. We hope that by the activities and participation of India in this role, we will witness a peaceful region very soon," he said during the session titled, 'A Region in Flux: Who Will Shape the Middle East's Future?'
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Emphasising the civilisational links between the two countries, Dr Elahi underlined the depth of Indo-Iranian relations and described them as a partnership rooted in centuries of shared history.
"The relationship and friendship between Iran and India go back 5,000 years. I can say that Iran and India are two faces of one page of one book. There is no difference between Iran and India," he told the audience.
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The Iranian diplomat also addressed questions surrounding Iran's leadership and the ongoing conflict in the region. Referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, he said the Iranian leader was in good health and remained actively engaged in state affairs. According to Dr Elahi, President Masoud Pezeshkian had recently met him for several hours, while parliamentary leaders had also held discussions with him.
Speaking on the humanitarian costs of the conflict, Dr Elahi cited the alleged bombing of a school in Minab, saying families were still grappling with the loss of children months after the attack. He criticised the United States for not apologising for what he described as a tragedy that claimed innocent lives.
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At the summit, Dr Elahi reiterated Iran's position that dialogue remains important for regional stability, while stressing that any negotiations must be based on mutual respect and trust. He argued that India, because of its balanced diplomacy, strong relations across the Gulf, and growing international standing, could serve as an important voice for peace in a volatile region.