Why reformist Pezeshkian may ease economic cooperation between India and Iran
Masoud Pezeshkian
In reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran has found a new president over a month after President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash which necessitatedsnap elections. A cardiac surgeon and single dad who is seen as an advocate of greater freedoms for women in post-revolution Iran, Pezeshkian will now confrontthe challenge of navigating through his reformist policy agenda in a deeply conservative polity.
But there is one aspect of Pezeshkian's job in which he is expected to be on the same page as the Supreme Leader and incredibly powerful Guardian Council: bilateral ties with India.
On the economic front, Iran continues to face the burden of choking USsanctions amid Tehran's tacit insistence on becoming a nuclear power. But in recent years, Tehran has found a credible economic partner in New Delhi. Thetwo countries recently formalised a crucial Chabahar port deal.
India has formalised some of its most significant foreigninvestments, with a deal for the operations of a part ofIran's Chabahar Port, located just 200 km from China-funded Gwadar port in Pakistan, and key to New Delhi's connectivity ambitions with Russia through Central Asia.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Iran is at the centre ofthe International North-SouthTransport Corridor (INSTC) | WION
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar visited Iran in January this year with a focus on concluding the Chabahar Port Deal and developments on the North-South Corridor.
Five months after Jaishankar's Tehran visit in which the two sides committed to a "long term cooperation framework" over Chabahar port's development, India and Iran signed a 10-year contract for equipping and operation of general cargo and container terminals of Chabahar port.
The Chabahar Port project is central to India's regional connectivity strategy and serves as a vital gateway for Indian goods into Afghanistan and Russia.The port's strategic location provides an alternative route for landlocked Afghanistan to access international markets, reducing its dependence on Pakistan and giving New Delhia strategic advantage in a Taliban-run Kabul.
Pezeshkian in Tehran: What it means for NewDelhi?
In past, even when the Conservative presidents were in power in Iran, New Delhi managed to utilise its diplomatic capital in the West to secure a waiver of sanctions for economic cooperation with Tehran— especially for Chabahar's development.
But with Pezeshkian's promising outlook forcountry's better ties with the West along with the rest of the world— and India's elevated ties with most Western powers— it will make New Delhi's economic cooperation with Tehran devoid of geopolitical brakes.
Also watch |Iran election: Reformer Masoud Pezeshkian elected new president
As the world's fifth biggest economy with a per capita income as less as $2400, it's in India's interest to ensure feasible connectivity routes so that Indians back home are able to get cheaper goods.